Prove Them All Wrong
by Hypno
Summary: A marriage sends Naruto away. His heart in ruins and his perception dampened by pain, Naruto comes face to face with his inner demons as he throws himself head long into a war that could end him. With Iwa on the rise and Madara plotting, trouble brews.
1. Prologue

What made you think that she would go out with you ever? You always knew this would be the ending for you! For four years you would comfort her, take the blows of her life, guide her to success, hoping to get her to give you a chance, but you knew that it would never happen. She would never give you the time of day, and the day you brought _him_ back your life with her was over.

So Why? Why did you continue to give in to her? Why continue down this impossible path? You knew yet you still wanted to try, so hard to just prove that you had a chance, well there's your reality check Uzumaki, you never had a chance. So now every time you see her, your going to think oh hey there's Sakura-Chan, then what? What will you do when she just smiles and waves at you, then walks away like you were never a part of her? When it starts to break your heart then will you finally notice that she never cared, go back and think, why did you give her a chance?

From the day you met her you knew that this would happen, she would go for the knight in shining armor rather than the hero of the town. YOU KNEW, yet you still repeatedly put her life over yours like some lovesick puppy. Well you know what UZUMAKI fuck them. Fuck the man who put this thing in you, fuck the man that made Konoha what it is today, fuck all your friends for all the shit they put you through, fuck the council who fucked up your life every day, fuck Shinobi for making this world so fucked up, fuck the ANBU for making you do all this shit, fuck Tsunade for making you put up with Sakura, fuck Jaraiya for teaching that man, FUCK Sasuke for fucking up your life, fuck the Sandaime for making you go to the academy, fuck Iruka for failing you, fuck Sakura for doing this shit to you, Fuck everybody. No… No no no Fuck you Uzumaki, Fuck you for giving into them, Fuck you for doing it all, fuck you for being the fool, fuck you for not trying, fuck you for lying to yourself, fuck you for all the shit that you go through, fuck you for holding the Kyuubi, fuck you for even being born…

To think that they even cared, to think that she loved you, well do you still think that? HUH. Then go fuck yourself. There's only one thing left for your sorry ass, the sad part is that it's an almost unattainable dream. You can still go down the path of a Kage, make them all respect you, become great, and when they all see your name in books, they can eat their own shit because they all had a chance with you, to help you when you needed help! They can all look back and see that they were nothing to you, they had nothing to do with you, you were merely there back up boy. Someone to lean on when there was no one else, the left over friend that no one used but in that last desperate moment. They used to call you stupid, dumb, the dead last. Hell they still taunt you at times, well news flash for them. You beat them all, you're at the top now, Sasuke lost when you brought his ass back, they all lost when you beat them down one by one, the only thing left to beat is that man! He holds it all, the jutsus, the respect, you have to prove to them all, prove to them all, that they were wrong.

When they called you weak you beat Kiba, when they called on fate you beat Neji, when they called you stupid you beat Shikamaru, when they called you dead last you beat Sasuke, now you must beat everyone, BECOME HOKAGE, that is your dream, that is your future, You must be at the top. Then when your Hokage don't stop, be the best of the best, top in the world, don't stop in one direction, reach them all! Don't stop.

The room was dark, the shower still running, his mop of blonde hair flat against his head, tears streaming down his face, mixing in with the hot water. "Don't stop…" He smiled a bit, his eyes gleaming softly as he let his last tears fall. "Don't stop…" His eyes began to swirl, a gray intermixing in the soft blue, "Ha… Don't stop." Like a maelstrom the grey sketched itself in his eyes, "Don't stop… No… Don't stop." His heart broke.

_Three Weeks Later_

No signs of Naruto Uzumaki for three weeks, no one panicked, he did this all the time, over working himself in training and things like that. No one knew where he was but Tsunade. When people asked, she denied, when they began to pester she shooed them off, and when they became desperate she told them off. Where is Uzumaki Naruto?

_Dobe_

_Dead-Last_

_You fail_

_Baka_

_Your fate is to lose to me_

_You hold the Kyuubi in you_

_Demon Child_

_I'll be back for you_

_Your Father, he's…_

_NARUTOOO!_

_Rasengan_

_Fulfill my destiny_

_CHIDORI!_

_Naruto don't be so careless_

_You look just like him you know_

_Bring him back_

_I love him_

_Goodbye Naruto_

_He's dead Naruto_

_I'm Sorry Naruto_

_You were always a failure_

_RASENGAN_

_CHIDORI!_

_It has to end like this_

_LEAVE ME HERE_

_DIE!_

_We're getting married!_

_Be the best man!_

_Don't stop_

_Don't Stop_

_DON'T STOP!_

_He's Dead Naruto _

_He's Dead_

He got up from his lumpy bed, preferring the window as he strode over to it. The view from it wasn't too intense, just overlooking the slums of the village by a bit. '_Ah Konoha. Why do I love you so much? Is it because I was born here, because my father was born here, because my family died here? Whatever the reason is, I will always protect you…'_ He slipped on his pristine ANBU suit, as the leader of one of the most prestigious ANBU teams it was always mandatory to look official. He sighed into the air, rethinking his choice for a second, and with a deep breath he was gone in swirl of leaves.

"Hokage-Sama." Tsunade looked up to meet the missing Uzumaki.

"Yes Naruto-Kun?" The look he was giving her was a bit unnerving, but none the less she was the Hokage, so he must want something.

"I need to ask for something." Naruto hid his eyes under his long hair, "Something that will require me to leave the village for two years or so…"

"Absolutely not." Tsunade face was stern as she spoke, "It's too dangerous out there Naruto, besides you barely returned, and without Jirai…."

"Don't say his name, just please don't say it." He eyed Tsunade in pain, "You know why I have to leave, I can't stay here for this Tsunade, I need to be out of Konoha."

"Naruto please don't start." Tsunade rotated her chair to stare out the window overlooking Konoha, "You may not want to stay but you have to, it's your duty…"

"What duty?" His anger began to rise, "My duty to be pushed around? Or maybe the one where everyone takes advantage of me, or maybe the one where the village hates me." His eyes showing his rage he continued, "No or maybe it's my duty as the scapegoat to watch as my life turns to hell as everyone else walks around in good moods, is that my duty?"

The pain in her eyes was apparent as she looked at the closest thing to a son she had.

"Yes it is Naruto, whether you like it or not, it is your duty to stay here, even if your life is hell and you go through so much, you have to be here.."

"Bullshit, your just too overprotective of me, I'm not your son, your grandchild, I'm a ninja, and ninjas don't live the life that I do…" He began to yell, "Trained by a Sannin, son of a Kage, I have the potential to rise and all you do is hold me back." He glared at her, "You want me to be like Sasuke huh? Leave here without permission, because I guarantee you that if I do they won't take me back, I'll have hunter nins on my ass, maybe an s-class rank in the bingo book, Is that what you want?"

"Naruto calm do.."

"No I won't, you don't know what I go through, and if you think death scares me then your more fucked up in the head than you'll ever know." His eyes began to shift again, the grey returning, "You think that death is worse than this, then your beyond wrong, your bullshitting yourself, I refuse to be held back because of some bullshit mistakes of Konoha, I will rise, I won't stop rising, and if you dare hold me back…"

"If I dare hold you back? You think your better than me? You think you have experience? Some things go wrong in your life and you think it's over? What's wrong with you? HUH?" Tsunade rose from her seat, "You think that you're a special case to this village, do you?"

"Special? HAH You think that I'm not a special case, the fact that I hold the single most powerful demon on this planet says something doesn't?" The grey was fully sketched in his eyes, "Look at me Tsunade, Look at me so you can take it all in, IM OLDER NOW!" The grey shifted even more, "And this…" He pointed to his eyes, "Look into my eyes, JUST DO IT."

"What, you think that those eyes scare me huh? You think just because you're all grown up that you are any better than the people out there?" Tsunade didn't look into his eyes, "Your going to be like the Uchihas now and flaunt your skills? Huh?" She stepped back, "Or maybe you'll be like Itachi and betray everyone, or maybe like your godfather, die in a batt…" She never finished the sentence as she was forced to look in his eyes…

"Don't you dare compare me to traitors Tsunade! And you have the nerve to disrespect the dead like that? He's dead because of you. You think only one thing has gone wrong in my life?" Naruto kept eye contact, "If only one thing went wrong in my life I'd be the happiest man alive, but my whole life is wrong." He glared, "You know how it feels to have a family, a mother, a father, a brother, you know how it feels to be loved, and all I know is how it feels to be hated." He gathered chakra in his eyes, "I'll show you how it feels to have nothing."

"**Mangetsu: Tsukiyo (Full Moon: Moonlit Night)**" She found herself trapped, nowhere to go, only small sounds surrounded her, the bright moon above her which lit only a small circle around her, and the screaming, the blood curdling screaming caused her to shiver, "Crazy isn't it, what just eyes can do to you in a matter of moments." Naruto appeared by her side, "Through pain, unimaginable pain I gained this technique, showing the person trapped in it there worst nightmares, but I won't use it on you Tsunade." He stepped back into the shadows of the realm. "_No I'll just show you what it feels like to be alone._"

Naruto pushed Tsunade into her chair and sat down in front of her, she was trapped in his realm, and she had another few seconds or so before she would get out. Was it necessary, no, but it felt damn good to relieve some stress. Tsunades look of horror receded and she gained her consciousness back. She stared at him. Terrified, her lips trembling, and he only glared, she grabbed a few papers eying him in fear still, "So I see that it worked, you see how it feels now? You gonna let me leave now?" She began to move faster, "Oh poor Tsunade finally see's that I need to go…" She handed him the papers, and he gave her one last remark, "If you ever disrespect my sensei Tsunade..."

He was gone again, Tsunade eyed the empty space with tears in her eyes. How could Naruto do that to her, was he really in so much pain? Now he was gone. Why was she so scared? It was only a Genjutsu yet it felt so real. She had tears streaming down her face, Two years is a long time…

_Several Months Later_

"Tsunade-Shishou, are you going to call him back?" Sakura stared at her master with pleading eyes, "He has to be here for the wedding."

"I've already sent him several invitations, but they've all just come back with a head in a bag." Tsunade kept calm, "Naruto wants nothing to do with Konoha right now Sakura, he will miss your wedding, he will miss everything that is happening right now, and when he gets back maybe he'll feel bad, but maybe he won't." She stared out onto the Hokage mountain, "You know he transferred out of team seven the day he left right?"

"Yes, Kakashi-Sensei told us." She kept her eyes on the turned back of the Hokage, "But he never gave us a reason, I mean we were the perfect team, never failed a mission, and our respective abilities helped us finish the missions perfectly, so why would he leave?"

"I can't tell you why Sakura because it is not my place to tell, figure it out by yourself and maybe someday you'll see." Tsunade cut herself off, "Blah forget it, I'm just a ranting old lady…"

"Shishou, please just keep on trying to get him to come, we want him to be the best man." Sakura's eyes were tearing up, "It won't be the same without him!"

"Nothing is the same without Naruto, Sakura…" Tsunade kept an even voice, "Konoha will never be the same without Naruto, he's our source of happiness, what makes us all keep trying to reach our dreams, and without him nothing is the same!" She was tearing a bit, "But with all the shit he has gone through I don't think he will ever be the same, Naruto is in pain, and pain causes change."

"I understand that Shishou, which is why I'm asking you to just send the letter one more time."

"Ok Sakura, one last time and that's it." Tsunade turned back around to face her apprentice, "Dismissed."

**Sakura's Letter**

_Dear Naruto,_

_Sasuke and I want you to be in our wedding, you have helped us as a partner, as a friend, and as a brother. Nothing will be the same if your not there to celebrate with us Naruto. We miss you, you are our inspiration, and we really do need you to be there for us on our wedding day, it would be really nice if you could just come back to us for a few days. Sasuke has even decided that your going to be the Best man. So please come, team 7 needs you again, because without you were not team 7. Well I can't really say anything else other than we miss you, so come back!_

_Signed_

_Uchiha Sasuke_

_Uchiha Sakura_

_1 Month Later_

Tsunade handed a letter to Sakura as she walked in, "What's this Shisou?"

"A letter from Naruto-Kun!" Tsunade was smiling a bit, it had been forever since anyone received a letter, "Come on hurry up and open it!"

Sakura opened it up and walked next to her master, "Here we can read this together!"

_Dear Sakura I cant make it to your wedding, and honestly I don't care, BUT I found Sasuke a new best man._

_Signed _

_Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto_

"I think it's a blood seal Shishou!" Tsunade eyed it warily as Sakura bit her thumb and smeared the blood.

_Poof!_

Blood poured out as a head fell onto the floor, and there, his face twisted in an evil grin, was the head of the third Sannin. Orochimaru was dead.

Revisions have been made :)


	2. Death of A Man

Naruto stared out the frost covered window, his breath staining the clear glass with a light fog. It had been a year since he had left and he still had things to do. Training for just two years wouldn't be enough. Since he had left he had been pushing himself beyond his limits just to reach new levels, and he was reaching them, but he wasn't reaching fast enough, and time was his most precious variable at the moment.

"Naruto-Kun." An old man walked out from behind a door, cane outstretched in his hand. His gray thin hair flowed down his back in a pony tail, his beard reaching his chest in a thin clump, his light blue eyes sparkling with life, "I think it's time you start again." The loose clothing he wore was thin, not meant for combat, meant merely for relaxation, after all he was an old man.

"Hai Hitoroji-Sensei." Naruto stood up and exited into the blistering cold snow. He had met his sensei two months ago in Amegakure. The man was sitting under a small oak tree reading a scroll. He was listed on the bingo book as a C-Rank missing nin, so Naruto had taken the man as no threat..

_Flashback_

_Naruto stepped up to the white haired man, preparing to strike him down in moments. He finally reached the man, reaching for his blade he slid it out of its sheath. "You know, you shouldn't take me so lightly young one."_

"_Your right I shouldn't…" Naruto kept his pace forward, "But I will anyways."_

_For the months Naruto had been out of Konoha he had been ruthless, taking out his anger on all the missing-nins around him, killing them without remorse. Slaughtering them. These nin had no chance of defeating him, so he cut them down one by one. Taking them for bounty. For money..._

_The man didn't even look up as Naruto walked right in front of him, "Did you know that knives are dangerous toys boy?" He didn't stop reading his scroll, "They cause death and misery to others just like all Shinobi do." He had a small smile on his face._

"_Knives this big do more than just that old man." Naruto raised the sword to strike down the older Shinobi, but before he knew it he was on the ground, a knife pointed at his throat ready to rip it open._

"_Now you see that that sword there and this knife here are no different, what you can do with that sword, I can do with this knife." The man removed the knife from his throat and began to read his scroll again, "You really have to learn how to analyze someone Naruto-Kun."_

_Naruto lay there, "You know, I wish you would just kill me." The man looked up from his scroll eyeing the boy, "I don't really have anything to live for besides my dreams, and I would rather die than reach them…"_

"_Such things are rubbish Naruto-Kun, to give up is to let down your soul." The old man smacked to top of Naruto's head, "And I hate quitters."_

"_Hey old man…" Naruto voice was blank, "How do you know my name?"_

"_Simple…" The man grabbed the blondes hand, "I knew the man that saved your life, and I can honestly say that I knew I would meet you again one day Naruto-Kun."_

"_No old man has ever saved my life." Naruto's eyes were closed, "I was never worth saving."_

_"Ah Naruto-Kun let me tell you a story. Once upon a time a boy was born, destined to hold a power so great, that it alone could topple mountains. He was destined to live the life of a legend, and the day he was born he started off with nothing, no family, no money, nothing. But one man, a man that was once acknowledged around the world as the sensei of some of the greatest ninja alive, saw that this boy had the making of ninja. Born to a Hokage with a will of fire burning in his belly! How could he not see the aspiring future of the child? How could anyone not see? That day the world wanted the boy dead, but the man had nothing of it. He fought to have the boy saved, and after days of intense battle he saved him, he gave up so much just to save the boy though, he gave up a lot of power, a lot of his time, and a lot of his patience. Twelve years later the man would look back on his dying breath and see that his choice was one of his greatest accomplishments, because that boy would bring back what is his home. He would rise just as he was rising already, and he would prevail. As the man died the sky mourned, the gods seethed in anger, the seas roared with disapproval, and that boy made up his mind, he would become great like the man who fell once was." Naruto stared hard at the man in front of him, "And that man's name was Sarutobi…"_

"_Jiji…" Naruto eyed the skies, "You knew the Sandaime?" _

_The man smiled, "I also knew you young Naruto-Kun." He stared into the boys' bluish grey eyes, "I knew your mother and your father, because I am the man that watched them all fall…"_

_Naruto said nothing as the man began to walk away._

_End Flashback_

"Two thousand and four, two thousand and five, two thousand and six…" The old man was at peace as his student kept up his pushups, "Two thousand nine hundred and two…" He always enjoyed the peace of sitting atop his student as he read, poor boy must be tired already…

"Three thousand five hundred and sixty-two…" The man felt the boy shaking, and it was ruining his reading, **Smack**…

"Boy you better not be tired already!" The man smirked as his student began pushing harder and faster, and on to his scroll…

"THREE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE" The man felt the shaking start again… That was it, this would show the boy not to disturb him…

**WHACK**

"FUCK!" Naruto felt his masters bo hit him in the ass, "WHAT THE FUCK OLD MAN!"

"I told you never to shake, it disturbs my reading, now finish up already." He continued to read.

"FIVE FUCKING THOUSAND" Naruto stood up feeling the older man get off his back.

"Do you feel the strain yet boy?" Naruto was raging on the inside, that was too many pushups than necessary. "I take that as a yes, now on to more important things, speed, accuracy, and confined power." Hitoroji walked Naruto to a flattened field with nothing but a pillar at its center, "You see this pillar Naruto." Naruto nodded. "I want you to break it"

"Sensei, I don't know if your blind yet, but that pillar is about two and a half feet thick and made out of cement…" Naruto's eye was twitching.

"Oh I know." He gave Naruto way too big of a smile for him to like, "Good luck. Oh and one more thing Naruto."

"...?"

"You can't use any chakra." Hitoroji laughed as he began to walk away, "Because if you do, you'll be punished again."

Naruto shuddered and began to work, he didn't think he ever wanted to be punished again. He faced the pillar, staring at the mocking piece of rock. He punched that pillar more than a thousand times that night, barely chipping a piece of it off. His hands were bloody, his pride all but shattered.

"Sensei, how?"

"My boy.. That pillar is thick, made out of the thickest stone I could come by, everything has a weakness Naruto, you just need to exploit it." He continued to read his scroll. "I spoke of accuracy Naruto... Figure it out."

The next day Naruto tried once again, this time aiming at a different section of the brick, and once again he didn't do a thing to the pillar.

* * *

The sound of something breaking alerted the man that his student was done, Naruto had broken the pillar six months ago with a number of six hundred and twenty-three hits, and since then the number has been decreasing, now it was one. "A one hit K.O Naruto-Kun!"

Naruto smiled as he walked up to the old man, "Who would have thought right?"

"Hah that's what I once said when I tried this technique, but anyways on to more important matters." The old man pulled out a sword, "Naruto…" Naruto took a rigid stance, tensed, old man never spoke like that unless he was dead serious, "Naruto this is going to be my very last training exercise for you, its been a few months and I really have nothing more to show you…" The old man gave him a warm smile, "This will be my very last spar Naruto, I don't want you to hold back, you will attack to kill me, because I will be attacking you to kill you!"

"But Sensei…" Naruto wanted to protest.

"No Naruto only one person is going to walk out of here today, and its either going to be me or you…" The old man smiled once again, "Boy I consider you like a grandson, never in my life have I met someone as kind hearted as you are, and I don't think I ever will…" Hitoroji dropped his cane and took up a stance, "You will become great one day Naruto Uzumaki, and you will prosper, but please do not die here!"

Naruto saw the blur and brought his sword up as he blocked the incoming slash, struggling to keep up with the old man's strength Naruto began to push harder. They broke apart and began to dance in an array of swordsmanship, the sound of metal striking metal was the only noise one could hear. The delicate process of the battle hitting a halt as the two swords of the men met in the center of the battlefield sparks flying as the metal grinded against the other, "Old man please don't do this!" The old man smiled as he began to press harder on his sword, "No old man I don't want to do THIS!" The battle continued as they broke apart, once again flying in a dance that devastated the trees in the area.

_The two men, father and son, were meeting face to face in a battle of life, neither wanting to strike the other down, but they would not deny that if one did not die then the peace of life would be disturbed. Neither could live without the other, and the world could do without either. To balance out the forces of power on this planet one would leave it in eternal peace, while the other stayed to defend the honor of their names. When the final blows were struck and both had blood on their hands no one could say who had won, because the look of pain on both their faces denied anyone to know who it was that was going to be in eternal pain, to strike down family is complex. You feel pain, misery, you feel evil, dirty and nothing can cure the death of a loved one, but when your own kin must do it, your life of innocence is over._

"Do you remember that tale Naruto?" Hitoroji was whispering as the two swung down, "Consider your life more important than mine!" It was intense, the heat generating off of their swords was making the area around them extremely unstable, "I've taught you all that I can Naruto, and for this world to go on only one of us can go with it." The man was smiling as the two sliced at each others gi's, "Because no two men can go on with the same skills, every man must have a unique ability, and since you have my skills you must go…" A deep red fire bore through his sword as Naruto swung fiercely, "And I have your skill's Naruto.."

"I don't care if we shared skills for eternity, just don't do this!" Naruto's fire went into smoke as Hitoroji silenced the flame, Naruto reared back his sword and let loose a series of wind blades. Hitoroji met his wind with a blade of earth, as the wind disappeared and Hitorji struck his blades into the earth and generated a dragon under Naruto, Naruto expecting the dragon created a lightning rod with his sword and summoned lightning on the massive creature, and in a display of smoke and fire the creature was nothing.

"What about your dream boy? You're going to let me end your dream?" Hitoroji condensed the water in the air and sent it at Naruto, "Do you not want to be a Hokage, the best of the best? Cause if not I can make it not happen!" Naruto dodged the water and lashed out with more wind blades, the wind blades were blocked by a wall of stone. They rushed each other and met in the middle, cracks beginning to form under their feet, they pushed for dominance but neither could collapse the other, and this was it. As they separated from each other they faced each other down, "This will be my final move Naruto, if you cannot handle it you will die, I expect the same from you…"

Naruto's eyes were gray as he prepared his attack, their swords drawn back as they prepared to strike, and in simultaneous array the two swung. Hitoroji's blade let loose a fiery black lightning dragon, as Naruto let loose a black fire dragon composed of his bloodlines black chakra.

* * *

_What keeps you ticking Naruto?_

_Why is your drive so hard?_

_Why is your will to live so low?_

_Do you want to die an early death?_

_Your heart is cold right now…_

_Why is that?_

_What has happened to you that has killed your heart?_

_Your emotions are going haywire_

_And your mind is not on training.._

_You have killed countless people_

_And your greatest enemy_

_But why go after what is not in front of you?_

_Is it a sense of vengeance?_

_Do you feel good knowing that you went out of your way_

_To kill someone who has done you directly no wrong._

_Do you feel justified in what you did?_

_Your eyes tell me yes.._

_So punishment is what shall be given.._

* * *

Life was leaving him, he was choking on his own blood, and his body was in ruins, he heard someone kneel by his side and grab his hand, "G-good job b-boy…" Naruto held onto the old man as he stared into his dying eyes.

"No no no please don't leave me…" Naruto's eyes were tearing up as the older man began to die, "PLEASE don't leave me here sensei…" Naruto felt the man's heart slow down, "Sensei, no please, don't do this to me, don't be like them!" His voice was cracking, "DON'T LEAVE ME SENSEI!" His heart was breaking, "Don't don't don't…" His body shaking, "Why? Why do you all die?"

"Don't cry boy!" It took all his strength to grab Naruto's head, "Don't cry…" The man began to close his eyes and let death take him.

"No don't die, don't die, don't die!" The man's heartbeat stopped all together, Naruto watched as his final sensei left the earth, "Old man wake up, please just wake up…" When the old man didn't budge Naruto let out an agonized scream that tore through the world.

* * *

_Why did you die?_

_Did you feel it necessary to leave me here?_

_Like all the rest of them_

_You left me all alone…_

_My heart is freezing over again_

_After I had promised to leave it alone_

_It is going numb_

_My mind is shattering_

_And my life is taking the turn for the worst_

_Once again you leave me here alone_

_God where are you?_

_They speak of you in the highest respect_

_But should I? _

_You are not here for me_

_Ever_

_I have been left for dead again_

_And you let me die_

_My heart is dying_

_Are you there god?_

_Can you hear me?_

_Can anyone here me?_

_I feel secluded_

_Left alone_

_Will no one save me?_

_When my heart stays broken_

_Who will come to fix it?_

_Where is your fairness?_

_Where is my hope?_

_Aren't we all supposed to get chances?_

_Well where are mine?_

_These eyes are amazing_

_And they are a curse_

_So why did you give me this double edged sword?_

Naruto's eyes were black against the sun. There was nothing in them. No pain, no emotion, nothing. Hitoroji knew...

A week after his sensei's death, Naruto buried him under the man's favorite pillar. Etching into the rough stone,

_Here lies Uzumaki Hitoroji_

_Genius_

_Teacher_

_Grandfather_

Naruto shed his last tear for the man as he disappeared into the leaves.

More revisions

Everyone thank Bowtechsniper for the Beta !


	3. His Return

6 months have passed since his time of death, Hitoroji is no more, but he left so much in his departure. His apprentice walked this earth, wandering, waiting, and biding his time before he returned to the place he once called home as a man reborn. So much has changed, his eyes held no injustice, no cruelty, yet they were cold and calculating, hard and determined, the gray that fought for dominance in them perturbed all who stared into the orbs of never-ending pain. His pale blonde hair told the world that he had not seen daylight in months, hunting only in the night, leaving no sign that he was there in the first place. If he was hunting you, you were as good as dead, if he was searching for you, you were already found, he was just that good.

Half a year is a long time, a time where you can earn years' work of experience if you simply work nonstop, and that's what a man of this man's caliber does. Work. At the highest level, and the best proficiencies. He has been alone and unperturbed, content and worried, he did not fear those around him, no he was worried for more grave issues, today was the day! Ah it stunk like hell, this day will be his last as a free man of nature, his last day as the earth's Natural Assassin, and his last day away from Konoha.

He eyed the gates warily, watching from miles away, he could run, never return, they would mark him for dead, or maybe as a missing nin…

No he already thought of that, and all that rubbish was cowardice, cowardice to the fullest, and he was no coward. To an outsider the gates looked welcoming, yet powerful, if you tried to penetrate without approval, you would fall at these gates, the almighty gates of Konoha should not be taken lightly. Made of the finest of oaks and reds, condensed by a Kekkai Gekkai of the great land, it is even said that the black flames of Uchiha Madara could not take down its almighty wood.

The moon was out, that was good. Now it was time for him to move, silently and undetected, it was his profession, it was his life, it was him, and he was a Shinobi! Within minutes he was at the gates, his black outfit hiding his existence, his dark cloak flowing in the wind, his mind was calculating the two hundred different approaches he could use to get by undetected, and his mind grabbed the simplest yet proficient way on the list. He was gone in a billow of wind, no traces of his existence were present, as the winds died down, the man was completely gone.

He eyed the tower, so tall and broad, he eyed it and flashed through memories, his life revolved around the purpose of that building, it was his dream, his ambition, and it would be his duty to take that position. For the people of Konoha, for the people of tomorrow, and for everyone he had ever promised, he would take that position. He saw the window, its grand view beautiful, where the Hokage should be working, she was asleep. Once again his mind was breaking down all the ways she would have been dead, but he was no traitor and he did not kill for nothing.

He eyed the grounds, empty and alone, no souls dare walk the street on this night, a full moon was usually a bad omen to the world, but he loved them, it gave him strength and courage, brutality and power, it gave him sight and smell, it gave him adaptions, and it gave him the element of surprise. He found himself dazzled by the moon, almost as if it were a connection to his mind, but it was no such thing, it was simply an orb in the sky that affected this worlds currents.

The dim lighting of the moon gave no shadows of his form, he stayed clear of the streets, taking every alleyway he could, he couldn't go to the Hokage just yet. He raced across Konoha on foot until he reached his destination, his mind was racing as he stared up at the Hokage Mountain, they were all there. The First, Second, Third, Fourth, and the Fifth, they were all there and completely unscathed. He stared at the faces and began to think how his face would look on that mountain, sketched and hard, his eyes determined, his mouth held in a serious line, his hair flowing.

Even he dreamed of things, he dreamed of a good life, one full of happiness for his future, but he could not be happy. Not if he was going to be Hokage, he had to work, work, work and earn all that he could. He shunshinned up the rock and sat atop his father's head lying down as he stretched his sore limbs, "Father…" Was voice was hollow, "I have returned father, and I think I am ready." He smiled as his voice became filled with warmth, "I can finally rise father, rise above you all, become what I was destined to become, and take the role that you left for me." His voice lost its emotion, "But I will still hate them father, I will still hate them all…" He looked up at the sparkling sky, "Is that a bad thing father, to hate those that hate you? Is it a sin? Is it wrong?" The wind blew through his hair as he eyed the sky.

He half expected to see Jiraiya step out of bush and walk up to him, smile at him with that lecherous grin, for Hitoroji to sit by him as he told another story, have the third sit and eat ramen with him as they shared of their pasts. They were gone though, and he knew that he would only see them when he died. But he was not ready to see them, not yet, he had things to prove first.

"Years ago I could have shaken all that happened to me off, but I thought about it all." He stared at a star in particular, "And I can see, is that I didn't deserve any of it, nothing that has happened to me should have happened." He glared at the sky, "You shouldn't have died, neither of you should have, but that's life, if only you were here I wonder what would have been done, I would have been the son of a Kage, respected and loved everywhere, contained the last of our Kekkai Gekkai and we would have been a family." Silence, "But they took you from me, both of you, didn't leave me anything, and for that…" Even the gods expected his scorn, "I thank them, for with you I would have rose, but I would also be blind to what life really is. Nothing is fair, nothing."

He sat there for another hour or so just staring at the sky and talking to the heavens, to his father and mother, godfather and friend, sensei and savior. He really missed some of them, some he didn't know, but it mattered not because they were a part of him no matter what. As he stood to leave he gave out one last regard and was gone into the shadows.

Someone was there, she knew it, she could feel it, in the shadows, in her office, by her side. She didn't want to move, if she did then it would notify the attacker that she was awake, she didn't want to attack because she had no idea who it was, she was rea…

"I know you're awake…"

Well her plans were shot to hell, she rose from her desk, glaring at the thing hiding in the shadows, "And I take it you didn't come for happy chit chat?"

"Actually." He walked forward, keeping his face hidden in the shadows still, "I came to tell you that I'm back, my time is up Hokage-Sama."

"What do you mean your time is up?" Tsunade eyed the man warily, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I don't want anything other than to notify my return Hokage-Sama…"

"Notify your return huh..." Tsunade sat down in her chair grabbing a notepad and ink, "State your name."

"Which one?"

"Look, don't play dumb with me alright, you already woke me up so don't make it worse." She was glaring at the figure.

"Which name Hokage-Sama.?" Naruto backed up into the shadows, "My codename, or my real name?"

"Both." Tsunade didn't like this guy very much.

"I am the Natural Assassin of Konoha, and my name is Namikaze Naruto, son of the fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki, apprentice of the Toad Sannin, and the ex-teammate of team 7."

The sound of clattering was heard as she dropped the pen, ANBU surrounded the man as they arrived on the scene, "Are you alright Hokage-Sama?" The Raccoon faced ANBU stepped forward.

"Yes just fine, but can you do me a favor…" The ANBU knelt down, "Take this man to Ino Yamanaka for a full scale search, if he is who he says he is then there must be a small precaution taken."

"Yes Hokage-Sama…" They were halted when he spoke.

"You're taking me to an interrogation center…" His voice was filled with venom, he just got back and their already treating him like dirt, "**You're fucking lucky I don't just kill everyone in this office right the fuck now.**" She had a small glare on her face, but he could care less.

"You're a dangerous man, and a dangerous man in my village needs to be handled with precaution…Or did you forget that you attacked me the last time you were in my office Naruto?" She was glaring daggers at the blonde, and he was glaring back harder, but when he began to leak killing intent they all stopped breathing. Tsunade stood tall as her ANBU faltered under his power, "Stop it! You will stand down and be taken into their custody!"

"I don't care who you think you are Naruto! How important you think you are! I need to make sure that you're mentally stable." The power leaking from the blonde suddenly intensified and Tsunade flinched.

"You know if I wasn't to be trusted you would all be dead." He gave Tsunade a burst of more killing intent, "Hell you would have been dead a long time ago." His sharp fangs were giving him a feral look, his eyes finally visible, were burning with a raging storm of hate, "But whatever... It's not like they can get anything out of me anyway."

His killing intent fell and they all rose, grabbing hold of his arms as they waited for the Hokage's permission. When she waved them off they were gone in a whirl of leaves.

Tsunade rested her forehead in her palms and thought of the Jinchuuriki. She had her reasons for detaining him! She wouldn't give in to petty feelings of closeness to the boy! This was Namikaze Naruto! The young man who had violated her mind the last time they met. She had no clue what he had been up to for two years, for all she knew... He had gone off the deep end.

_ANBU Detainment_

The walls were dark and cold, made of brick and old stones, it had an aura of true torture, but he wasn't bothered, his mind was far worse than this place. The door was made of iron with the handle on the opposite side of the door, and from the looks of it, it was a good six inches thick. A drop of water hit his nose but he just let it roll of him. He smelled the vile stench of the dirty water as it leaked under his nose. He wanted to swat the putrid thing away, but his hands were bound so there was no hope.

He heard the door creak open and someone walk in, turning his head he was met with the site of a blonde girl casually walking in, she wore a tight purple skirt, with a skin tight purple tank top covered with a black jacket, matter of fact he only knew one blonde that even touched the color purple. The sound of the door closing and the lights flicking off alerted him that playtime was over. It was dark as hell, but he didn't really care, they would need the devil himself to intimidate a man like him, hell he would probably just spit on the red bastards face if he could see him right now… King of hell my ass.

He was brought out of his thoughts when a voice echoed through the room, it was soft yet held this cold bitter tone, "A new play toy just for little old me huh…" The voice was greeted with the voice of the man in the chair.

"Play toy huh, and I guess you think that this big bad room is just the perfect playroom?" Oh he just loved taunting people.

"So from what I hear, the Hokage sent you here personally." Ino smirked as she pulled up a chair next to the masked man. "That almost never happens."

"I guess I'm just a special case then huh?" He chuckled dryly as she scooted closer to him.

"What's your name? Your affiliations? Are you here to spy on Konoha?" Ino glared at the dark shadow in front of her.

"I am Kitsune. I am a ninja of Konoha. I have nothing to hide from you or anyone else who thinks I'm a spy." Naruto relaxed in his chair, this all seemed so pointless.

"What is your real name?" She nearly shivered at the way his eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"I can't tell you that seeing as how you are not the Hokage and it's confidential."

"I'll ask you one more time..." She stood up, "What is your name?"

"And I'll tell you one more time that you have no right to know."

A blow connected with his cheek and he spit out blood at her feet. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Naruto nearly saw red at the simple strike to his face, "I am an ANBU Commander whose main priority is to keep his identity concealed from the mass! Why the hell would I give you my name!"

"And I am second in command of the Torture and Investigation squad! You will show me some damn respect and give me your name..." Another strike landed on his cheek, "Or I'll beat it out of you!"

"Why did Tsunade send me here?" Naruto spit out more blood, "Is this some kind of gig to piss me off?" He snapped the chains holding him down and stood up, pushing the blonde against the wall, "She is treating me like I'm some kind of fucking traitor!" The anger pooling beneath his skin didn't help a bit, "**I am not a filthy traitor**, **now give me some fucking answers Yamanaka**!"

Ino's eyes bugged out in surprise. He knew who she was! The tone of his voice scared her. It etched fear in her veins as she tried to escape his strong hold, but it was for not...

"She... She informed us that your mental state had to be read..." She nearly fell as killing intent leaked from the masked man, "That is all the information she gave out."

"You squeal like a pig Ino, how can someone from T&I be so loose lipped?" Naruto let go of the blonde Kunoichi, "My mental state is fine. You'll inform Hokage-Sama that I passed this test with flying colors." He released a burst of killer intent. "Am I clear?"

The blonde nodded as the man somehow opened the door and walked out into ANBU Ops... Commander indeed.

Naruto appeared in the office for the second time that day, scaring the Hokage from her paperwork.

"What the hell are you doing here again!" She glared openly at the man. "And for god's sake remove that god damn mask!" And he did. He released the clamp that kept his face hidden from the world and Tsunade nearly swooned. This was Naruto... As much as he had hurt her, every time she laid eyes on him she thought of her past. He was handsome, his skin flawless, and his eyes, as gray as they were, were beautiful.

"Touchy aren't you?" Naruto took a seat in one of the two plush chairs in the room. "I came here to drop off some bad news."

"Tell me what you have to tell me and leave!" She didn't know why she was reacting so violently to Naruto, but she just had this vibe about him that pissed her off. It irked her that he had changed so much from the boy she knew and loved unconditionally.

"Yes Hokage-Sama…" Naruto took up the seat in front of her, "I have come because the two years you granted me are now over." He frowned a bit, "And I have come back to take back my position of ANBU Commander." His eyes traveled onto hers, "But before I get to the real business of anything, I have a bit of things to tell you."

Tsunade knew that he was being very serious as of right now, "What is it Naruto?"

"When I killed Orochimaru and people found out, I was marked as an S Ranked nin, and when somebody leaked out the info to me being the son of the Yondaime, I was ranked SS, and now Iwa wants to get to me…" Tsunade had a look of shock plastered on her face, "But that isn't the worst of it Hokage-Sama, it seems that Iwa is about to begin a war. I've seen their armies, and I've seen their men…" It was silent, "You need to pick up the training Hokage-Sama, we need every Academy student to be Genin material, Genin to be Chuunin material, Every Jounin at ANBU Level, and ANBU trained to reach near Kage level…"

"Naruto are you crazy, to do that would take years…" She seemed to be contemplating her choices, "What level are you exactly?"

"With or without the Kyuubi?"

"Without…"

"Beyond the level of the Three Sannin, beyond all the Hokage's, and beyond Hotoroji the Silent Storm…" His face was dead serious and his posture told it all, he was exactly what he said he was…

"And with?"

"Hokage-Sama…" He gave a chilly grin, "If I used Kyuubi I could take three fourths of this village single handedly."

"I see…" She was calm on the outside, but on the inside…. "Naruto, I want to know if the levels you request of have been attained by Iwa."

"No, but their just under those levels Hokage-Sama, and if you want to have casualties that are very high, then don't train them." His voice was demanding, and for some reason she felt like he was the leader and not her. "I will be on that battle field, decimating their forces as my father did when he was here, like Jiraiya did when he was here, like Sarutobi did when he was here, I will be the next Hokage. I need you to understand that I was angry when I attacked you Tsunade... I acted rash and for that I'm sure I lost a great deal of trust from you, but this village still means more to me than my own life."

"I...I'm sorry you went through all that pain Naruto. I just assumed that you could handle it all, but we're just human and I know that we all have breaking points." She sighed, "If what you say is true, then I need you to do a mission for me. You will take your squad to infiltrate Iwa…" She gave him an even stare, "Your mission Kitsune…" She handed him a scroll, "Is to steal their Forbidden scroll."

Naruto grabbed the scroll with a small sense of pride, it had been years since he had been on a real mission with his team, "Yes Hokage-Sama…" He gave something a bit of thought...

"Naruto….about your homecoming" she paused briefly "Our last talk didn't go very well..."

"Hokage-Sama…"

"Yes?"

"We both have done things that could have been handled better." With that he was gone in a gust of wind.

_ANBU OPS_

"Who the hell was that Neko?" Ino Yamanaka was glaring at the ANBU in front of her.

"Forgive me Yamanaka-San, I forgot to give you the file…" She handed a manila folder to the woman in front of her.

Ino opened up the file and began to read the details listed. '_ANBU Commander Kitsune, went on leave for two years with the status of a hunter-nin, holding the title of most bounties collected as a hunter with a high of one thousand six hundred twenty-three, said to have killed Orochimaru single handedly. Captain of squad one consisting of Usagi, Kurohyou, Shishi, Tora, and Saru. Said to rival a Hokage in strength the man is the son of…' She was interrupted when she saw the file she was reading burn away, "WHO THE HELL!" She turned to see who the hell burnt her file she came to a halt in her words._

"Greetings Yamanaka-San, it's quite good to know you do research on your failed subjects…" There stood Kitsune in all his glory, his black coat coaxing his ANBU gear, and the fox face giving her a creepy smile… One that told his enemies what he thought of them. The last thing they would see before death was a smiling fox. "Forgive me for ruining your good reading, but I'm looking for my squad, care to guide me?"

Ino dropped to the ground bowing, "Forgive me Commander, I didn't mean any disrespect earlier, it's just that I didn't know who you were and you were irking me to comple…"

"Stop right there Yamanaka..." He lifted her up, "Don't ever bow to me, don't ever think that anyone is better than you in anyway, because I think of everyone as an equal till they prove they are not." His voice was cold as ice, and it demanded respect, so Ino did the one thing left to do…

"Thank you Kitsune-San, your squad is this way…" She led him to a door marked one, "Here, and forgive me if I was ever rude…" She left him at the door and walked away.

Naruto stared at the door with a small smirk on his face, opening it up and stepping in he let his cold voice ring through the room, "Alright maggots on your feet and get ready for inspection."

At the sound of their lost commanders voice all the sitting ANBU rose, and stood at attention, the masks didn't show it, but they were glad he was back, and the smirks beneath the masks said it all.

"Saru front and center…" The ANBU with purple hair rushed to her commander.

"Commander?" She gave a small bow.

"Status on our men pronto." He gave her a small wave.

"We have completed twenty two S-Rank missions on your leave, taken out one hundred and two missing-nin's, and have taken once again, the best squad award." She gave another small bow as she retreated into line.

"I expected no less from my squad, but once again I have beaten you all." He gave them a small grin as he removed his mask, as he took his off they removed theirs, "In the past two years I have taken five hundred and two missing nins." They all smiled as he pulled out his sword, "But back to business men, we have a mission that must be completed without fail, Hokage-Sama requires us to infiltrate Iwa and take their Forbidden scroll."

They all nodded their heads as he sheathed his sword, a man with short black hair spoke out, "Glad to have you back Naruto..." They all agreed with the man as they put their masks back on.

"Glad to be back Shirogi…" He put his mask back on too as he turned his back to them, "Meet at the gates in two hours." He walked out the door as they all disappeared.

Chapter done…

OK OK I really need a BETA For my story, and I need one fast.

ANY volunteers?

Beta found, Believe it!


	4. Iwa

Iwa, a nation that is fit for its name, settled in the mountains of their country they specialize In Doton techniques. Said to have to have once been the greatest nation to exist till the third Shinobi war where the man named Minato Namikaze went in and took them out. He was their nightmare, he was their executioner, and he was their devil. They feared his name so much that they labeled him an S-Class nin in their bingo book. And as for instructions, any Iwa nin that saw the man must run, because a dead man is useless to the country. Minato was such a great threat, that in time they had to send a whole army to kill the man, but when even that didn't work… They surrendered. Namikaze was a god, he was undefeatable, and when they surrendered he was made Hokage of the leaf. The day of his placing he traveled to Iwa, walked past its broken and crumbling wall, and walked straight into the Tsuchikage's Tower. The man was taken by surprise as Minato laid a good hit on him, and the words he left the fallen Kage were these, "To send an army to their deaths is a disgrace, to send an army after just one man is cowardly…" He took a seat right in front of the other Kage, and they talked, talked of peace for now and the future, and when the treaty was made they shared a celebration. And when the Kyuubi attacked years later, taking the life of Minato Namikaze, the Third Tsuchikage resigned, saying that if a true Hokage could die protecting his village like that man, then in the times of war when he could not lay a foot on the battlefield, he was simply not worthy.

Iwa found him resigning without a valid reason treason, and the next day he was executed, but not before his last words were sung, "Do not attack Konoha, do not be fools, because they will not value your lives twice."

It took a year for Iwa to find a new leader, and when they did they were quite glad. The man was strong, brutal, and intelligent. But he had his flaws, the man was a devil, he did not work for his country, simply for himself. He began to train his men hard, making them follow the lines of killers, creating armies for his disposal, his men became strong, and he stronger. And when he was at his peak, he remembered where he came from. He remember his father's dead body laying by his mother on that battlefield, where he, as a Genin could do nothing as Minato Namikaze, the living god, slaughtered that army, taking the lives of all but the young, and he wished then and there that he could kill the man, but in fear he just laid there with his fallen parents, cradling his bloody body as the sounds of war kept on. An hour later he would hear all the young mourning over their fallen comrades, and he would rise, he would rise and lead them home, reporting to the Tsuchikage what had been done to _his_ army. After that incident, he would train, train to never be weak again, and when the Tsuchikage resigned and was executed he was strong enough to take his rightful position as a leader. So when he heard the name Namikaze years later, he shook, he shook in fear, for there was no way that another god would fall down, and then after a few years, when he asked himself why he feared a simple boy, and he began to shake with delight, to kill the son of his parents killers… Such an honor!

His armies were trained harder and harder, till they could handle a two on one battle with each other, till they could kill at least ten before they fell, and they became his soldiers, his knights, and soon they would be ready, ready to take the land that should have been taken years before. His Genin could be called Chunin, his Chunin could be called Jounin, and his Jounin could be called ANBU, and his ANBU were just under Hokage status. His army carried power never seen by man before, and they numbered in the thousands area. His walls were rebuilt, better than ever, his jutsu's were passed down to everyone to make them better, his Taijutsu, everything he owned he gave to his men, but after that they were all his, his pawns and the world was their chess board. In a year or so he would begin his first move. It would be direct and to the point, he would send a small group to take out a Konoha outpost lying along their borders. The group would slaughter every man and women present, then send their almighty Hokage a box full of surprises. And then when the stupid woman opened the box, she would only see the rotting heads of her men. A sign of War, defying their treaty, and breaking codes. They would hold no prisoners when they went to war, and if they ever came across naïve Ninja from other villages, they would die too.

And Sand… Well they could go to hell. Their men were strong, yes they had some of the finest, but they were small and unprotected, their walls were penetrable, and their Kage a mere mortal now. They did not hold the finesse they used to, before the Sand/Sound War they were reveled for holding some of the strongest men. Now they were nothing, he could simply send his Jounin in and already know that his men outclassed theirs. But this Kage of theirs was by far going to be a huge thorn in his side, they say that the young man is capable of disabling a whole army single handedly without receiving a scratch, that he died and came back, that he was like two kages put together. But he would be nothing in times to come.

They would block the connections between Konoha and Sand by destroying the roads between the villages, and blocking all ways of entering the regions. Sure it would only work for a certain amount of time, but that was all that he would need. These Villages would know nothing about what hit them till their walls were burning under his feet, and their Kages becoming simple people of Legend, just like that damn Namikaze. Speaking of the boy… He would definitely die, die a very slow, very painful death, he would pluck his eyes out, break every bone in his body, cut off limbs, then make him hear the sounds of every person he cared for dying, screaming for mercy. He would tell the Namikaze that if he begged for mercy and called him his master, he would free his friends, and when he did as he was told, he would kill them all, then torture the boy some more.

As the kage thought of his plans for Konoha and its allies, his right hand man walked into the room. Korabuma Tshuchimaga, dressed in a dark brown shirt with Iwa's symbol embroidered through its tough fabric, his black pants fitting snugly under the shirt. He had the lightest eyes in all Iwa, the soft tint of green and yellow intermixing as his light pupil sat still in the center of the grassy eyes. His light green hair falling down his back and thin scar running along his left cheek. Women called him the best looking man in town, but enemies called him the '_Silent Earthquake'_ you would be six feet under before you even knew what happened. The Tsuchikage prided the man for his great skills and tactics as a general, but the man was still a bit soft, he was not a ruthless killer like the rest of his men, and he respected the women and children found at the enemies locations, not an ounce of innocent blood ever dripped from the end of his blade…

"Tsuchikage-Sama…" Korabuma looked into the kages eyes, "I have some disturbing news."

"What is it Korabuma?"

"The Namikaze has returned to Konoha…" Korabuma flinched as his Kage rose and smashed his desk, "Please Toraske calm down, we can't let that man deter our perfect plans…"

"What do you mean Korabuma, he already knows of our armies, of this upcoming war…" The Kage sat, "The moment he stepped through his Kage's Doors our plans were affected." He looked his friend in the eyes, "But I won't let that bother me at the moment, we need to make some modifications in our walls and forces, the lands of Konoha will burn at my feet no matter what."

"Will you really kill all those innocent people?" Korabuma was concerned about his friend, the man was not always like this, he was once kind and soft, and now he was cold and ruthless, "Will you really do that to the people that have done you no wrong?"

"Did Minato Namikaze spare us?" Toraske rose, "Did he not kill hundreds?" His voice boomed, "I will not spare a single soul the day those walls fall, they will all die one way or another!"

"Toraske…" The greened haired man's voice rose, "Namikaze never touched our innocent, if I am right he spared both our lives on that battlefield on that day…" He walked over to the man and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "You can't disrespect him for that Toraske, he let you live, gave you another chance, and I don't know why you're so bent on this…"

"You dare challenge my word?" Toraske raised his hand.

"Your word is my command Toraske, but there are some things that I will do for you that I will not like." Korabuma walked back as he felt his hand pushed from his friend's shoulder, "And someday karma will catch up to you Tsuchikage-Sama…" He gave a weak smile, "Just don't let it happen now."

"I'll worry about that later, but for now…" He took a seat, "Let's just worry about Konoha."

"Uzumaki Naruto?" A red haired man stood in front of a woman in her mid-twenties.

"No Namikaze Naruto…" The blonde woman stepped back as her brother sat down in his chair.

"So he's back huh…" His light eyes glistened under the moonlight, "And do you know exactly where he's staying at Temari?"

"Well if I were to travel to Konoha right now I could get the information and send it through a messenger bird Gaara."

"No no, there is no need for that." Gaara rose and stared out to his sandy village. "If he wants to see me, he will come to me personally."

"And if he doesn't?" Temari had a small frown marring her face, "What if he thinks you want nothing to do with him?" She stood beside Gaara, "I mean, look at the life he has led, look at what he's been through we don't know if he trusts any of us anymore."

"Then leave him be if he doesn't, because we all have at least one true friend Temari." Gaara smiled her way, "At least that's what he told me on that day."

"How can a man you barely know mean that much Gaara?"

"How can he not?" He sat down on his chair, "He changed my life Temari, in one meeting he changed my whole world, changed me when no one else could, tried when no one else would, and put his life on the line doing it." Gaara stared into Temari's light eyes, "He deserves more than anyone can give him, more than the world can give him, and I wish he was happy every day, that he had a woman that loved him, because all he really has now is his squad."

"Isn't that enough?" Temari had a small frown on her face, "You speak of him like he's some unselfish god, and yet he's unhappy with what he has, abandoning his team and village because a few things went wrong?" Temari glared at Gaara, "You never did anything like…"

"You don't know Temari, you don't know half the things he has been through." Gaara got up and sat Temari on a chair, "You thought my life was bad Temari, you thought it was so bad compared to any of yours, well Naruto Uzumaki deserves credit, because his life was hell." He glared at Temari, "A few pointless assassination attempts on me were nothing because I had my sand, and a few on that boy were beatings that could not be stopped, what did he have to protect him when he was attacked?" Gaara had the decency to not raise his voice as he spoke, "Never in my life would I have thought that anyone could go through what he did and not break, shatter, become pieces of a broken puzzle, but he did, he didn't go off and turn into what I did, become what I was seen as, no he stayed and lived as an innocent boy up to when he began to hurt the most." His aura spike in a small frenzy, "This Haruno Sakura he used to speak so highly of deserved nothing of his, not his happiness or friendship, nor his love and care, and when he was at his peak, she shattered him, choosing some fool over a man of godly moral."

"Gaara I..." She was cut off by his next words.

"I'd give my life to see that girl burn in the hottest pits of hell, to see her turn to ash under my sand, to see Kami spit on her face like he did Naruto, I'd give my soul to see her hated by the world like he was, to see her cry as she gets beat, to see her bleed as they all join in, and when she's weakest I'd finish the job." Gaara had never spoken like this about anyone till now, "I hope this Uchiha dies a very painful death in the future, and that his wife joins him in hell, because no traitor should get off punishment because of some name, especially when they've done nothing but cause pain to a falling village." He looked back out his windows, "And I hope Naruto rises and gains that respect he gave his life to receive, and that his parents look down on him from above and smile… Because if he were my son…" "I'd be the proudest man till death and beyond…"

"He means that much?" There was a disturbing silence lingering in the room , "I remember when he defeated you Gaara, I was so scared of him, hell I still am, because no one ever touched my brother and lived to tell, but this boy, this boy that no one spared a second glance at defeated a demon." She had tears trailing her eyes, "And when he crawled to you I didn't want to even get near him, in his weakest moment I could feel that he was still stronger than us all." She stood up, "His dream was to reach Hokage was it not, to rise and claim what his father once claimed…" She too stared out the windows of the tower, "Then I will help him reach it, as payback for all he's done for this village and for you."

"And how do you expect to do this Temari?" Gaara softly smiled.

"I'll show him what true love is, show him what it means to have a real family, and maybe one day I can call him my husband, and you can call our children your family, him your brother, his village your ally, and him your equal in the life of a Kage!" Gaara fell out of his seat…

"You speak of marriage Temari…" Gaara began to laugh, "Marriage to a man that I already look upon as my equal and beyond, but the question is do you truly think you could love him?"

"To death."

"Then I will assist you in this matter at hand, but what about him?"

"He will fall in love with me…"

"And what makes you so sure?"

"What you don't think I'm beautiful?"

"Well if you look at it that wa…" The Kazekage fell under the weight of a steel fan hitting him between the eyes.

The moon was out, lighting the mountains and trees of Iwa, its bright lights hitting the small lake to the side of the great village, sending a dance of colorful reflections onto the ground that surrounded the beautiful body of water. There were 6 people flying about, their dark cloaks flying behind them, their masks signifying their duty. They were without sound, without faults, they were the elite, the ones that made no mistakes, they were squad one…

Sign language passed between the small squad as they looked upon the towering walls of Iwa, Shishi followed the commanders every movement, memorizing the plan of infiltration, his hand motions stopped and she knew what had to be done. Shishi, Usagi, and Tora took to the right side of the walls, as Kitsune, Saru, and Kurohyou took the left. They had one goal in mind, get in get out, don't leave anything but the dead behind.

They went through the thick walls with a simple Doton technique, blending into the hard stone and passing through the other side, there was no spike of chakra as they sped off to take out the guard above them, there was a sickening crack as the man fell into Tora's arms where they began to move to hide the body. Seconds later they were on the move again, taking alleys and the such to get to the massive tower at the center of the village.

Kitsune signaled his squad to initiate the phase, using a simple Doton technique they all melted into the wall, later emerging from the other side, all looked up to see the guard sitting on the edge of the great wall, with a mighty leap Saru was upon the poor man, as she placed her hand on his mouth, preventing his screaming from escaping, she used her other hand to snap the neck in a quick and efficient way. She held onto the dead man, lifting him into her arms bridal style and she jumped down from the huge walls, leaving no trace that the guard was ever even there. Kitsune heard her land by him with the body in her arms, blood stained the man's lip, his eyes were glazed over, and his skin was losing its color at a quick pace. This was how Shinobi died most of the time, falling into darkness without knowing what happened, there was always someone out there that could kill you if you didn't pay attention, and that was what cost him.

They placed the man in a small alley about thirty meters away, no sound was made as they disposed of his body with a quick Katon jutsu, his body incinerated at a quick pace, allowing the squad to look each other in the eyes, signs were passed as they all nodded their heads, and they were bounding through alleys to get to the massive tower quickly enough to not be spotted. Minutes later they arrived at a small alley that was directly to the right of the Tsuchikage's tower, Kitsune signaled to his men that he would go in and out alone, he would be back within ten minutes, and if he wasn't back, then they should begin to run as fast as they could to the borders of fire country, it was an order that none could ignore, he was leader, future Hokage, he made the choices.

He used a high level Genjutsu to blend him into the environment as he walked slowly to the tower in front of him, he couldn't afford to be heard, sensed, or seen, and one mistake would end it all. Reaching the stone walls of the tower he began to climb the wall, minimum chakra used to stick as he climbed, higher, higher, higher, he reached a window on the fourth floor of the massive tower, and slid it open slowly. With the efficiency of an assassin he slid into the hallway, closing the window behind him and following down the hall. He reached a door labeled stairs some time later, he didn't want to be caught, not now, and opening that door would be too loud, so he did the next best thing.

His eyes began to change colors, from a beautiful blue to a storming grey, and when the grey finally faded into the dark oceans in his eyes, he activated his Doujutsu, there was a small flicker as the door simply disappeared, nothing saying that it was ever there in the first place, Kitsune took a deep breathe, that took some out of him. He walked onto the stairs ascending the flights soundlessly finally reaching the final floor and once again making the door vanish, a small sweat drop appeared upon his forehead as he continued down the hallway of the tower, and after a minute of walking, he found the door the Tsuchikage's office. He used a small sensory jutsu to see if anyone was inside, and shortly after sensing no one he made his way into the office. He knew where the scroll was already, having the world's best information system in the form of your ex-sensei you learned a few things. He walked up to the paper topped desk, going behind the huge thing to get to the small compartment found under it. He slid it open, and pulled out a huge scroll, it was simply too big to be carried around like this, he bit his finger and slid the blood onto a seal on his arm, placing the scroll onto the seal he watched as it vanished into his storage seal. Phase 1 complete.

Minutes later Tora's squad was hiding a street away, waiting for the commander and his team to begin their part of the plan. Several minutes later they saw their captain flash off to regroup with his team. Phase one was complete, then they felt a ninja flare his chakra in warning, and the two teams were gone, retreating back to base.

They were over the wall and back into the forests, hitting high speeds as the two groups joined back into one, Kitsune signaled them all to listen, "They didn't see me, but I take it that the guards found out that the scroll was gone." He grinned behind his mask as he patted a seal on his pants, "And in minutes a small force will be upon us." The team let off a small bit of laughter, "So you guys know the routine." They were gone in 6 different flashes.

The team from Iwa caught up to the small group of ninja, there mission was simple, eliminate the threat and take back the scroll of their village, then they saw them flash into nothing. They jumped down into a clearing where they took a standard circle formation, there were twelve of them, all well above Jounin level, and they weren't planning on dying that day.

Their minds registered the kunai's coming before their bodies did, and they all jumped away as twelve kunais landed where they once stood, then from the trees came out six ANBU. All drawing their swords as they charged the group of Jounins, swords clashed as each ANBU took two Jounins for themselves, there was a flash of lightning as Usagi used a Raiton jutsu, then came a Katon from Saru, Kitsune was flying through his two opponents with only his sword, and as he stabbed his beautiful blade through the throat of one of the enemies he parried the other man's swing with a wind blade, he released the blade and began a barrage of strikes with his real sword, his enemy was no artist in the style of Kenjutsu, that was obvious as Naruto kept up his barrage of slashes, and the barrage ended when his enemy threw a suiton jutsu at point blank range. There was a yellow flash and the enemy fell with a thud, sword stuck in his gut, eyes widened with shock. The battle stopped as the Iwa nin's froze, that was not real… A man screamed as he stared at Kitsune, this was not supposed to be real, he was dead, dead! Namikaze was dead. He saw another flash and his partner fell, two more and two more fell, and then more flashes, and he was the only one left. Namikaze walked up to him, like a devil stalking his pray, "You shouldn't scream, it's not fit for a Shinobi." Namikaze stepped forward to the man, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees.

"Please don't." The man was crying, "I don't want to die."

"Stop crying." The man didn't stop, "Pathetic."

"No…" The man screamed "NOO!" Blood pooled into his throat as he felt himself fading away, this was the end, an end to him and his life.

The squad watch as their commander finished the last man, it was sad to know that when they carried this mask, they were not humans; no they were cold hearted killers, the ones that protected their villages, the ones that took the pain so that the people of their village didn't need to know what death was. To see a man's life leave his eyes was a painful thing to see, to see them scream in mercy just broke your heart, but they were Shinobi, and this is what they do. They all took to the trees when Kitsune did, and they began to make their way home.

"Commander…" A whiny voice erupted from Tora's mouth, "You stole all the fun!"

"No we needed to get out of their quick, reinforcements were coming Tora."

"Ahh we coulda taken them!" The masked Anbu pouted like a child and he chucked under his mask.

"I don't think we can take a whole lot while trying to not be noticed…" Kitsune's voice was sincere as he stared at Tora, "The mission before our fun Tora, you know the rules."

"Ah party pooper, well anyways…" He looked at Usagi, "It's your turn to buy the Sake Kimura."

"Hell no, it's Shishi's turn…" They all eyed Shishi.

"Actually Kimura…" Shishi gave a small cough, "It's your turn…"

"But I…"

"You killed the least men on this mission."

"But you didn't get any either." Usagi whined.

"Yes I did…" Shishi chuckled, "I mind raped them all!"

The group all broke out into laughter, "I'm sorry Shishi, but no one but Uchiha Itachi can mind rape anyone!" Kitsune's voice was mocking and filled with happiness, "Well I can too, but I enjoy the actual rampage of people." The group all continued to laugh…

The rest of the trip was spent quietly, they could not afford to get caught off guard, making such a mistake could prove to be fatal and dying right now was simply not an option. After five hours of running, they were more than half way home, and the sun was making itself known, they were all exhausted, but they were already at the border of fire country, so they could take it a bit easier now. Sweat had developed on all their foreheads, but thankfully the mask they wore prevented perspiration from reaching their eyes. After another two hours they saw the gates of their home and after checking in with the guards at the gate, they entered their peaceful village. The sun was just rising above the clouds, it was already seven in the morning, and after a full night of running they were all utterly exhausted, "Alright men, I will report the mission to the Hokage, you can all head home, I'll see you all within the week." The squad all muttered a tired 'Hai' and went their separate ways.

Naruto ran to the Hokage's tower, entering through her window, once again she was asleep, drooling all over her messy papers. He walked to the front of her desk, sat down in a chair, and cleared his throat, and in a quick fluid motion Tsunade had a kunai in one hand, sake in the other ready for battle. "Ah Naruto sorry about that."

"Hokage-Sama I have come to debrief you on the mission." He unsealed the scroll and handed it to his superior.

"No there's no need, as long as the missions done, then I'm fine without having to file the damn paperwork for this shit." Tsunade sat back down, "But your mission Naruto, is still not completed."

"What do you mean?" He slipped off the ANBU mask and settled deeper into his chair.

"What I mean is that you need to take this scroll and learn all the techniques on it, all of them." She handed him the huge scroll, "And when you're done learning them all you need to do is come to me and show me them, it's vital to this war, and you will know why later."

"Hai Hokage-Sama." Naruto stood and saluted his commander.

"Dismissed."

Naruto walked out into the hall, removing his ANBU gear and heading to base. It wasn't that far from the Kage's office, but still he was tired like an old man on Viagra whose wife kept on asking for more. Several minutes later he found himself in the hall to his office, but at the sound of a Kunai zipping by him he dodged. His hands started to flash through seals, and then he noticed that it was only her.

Anko Mitarashi came out of a corner smirking at the blonde man. "Now now Naruto-Kun we don't need you blowing this place up." She walked over to him and placed a hand on his crotch, "I mean I don't want you hurting yourself before I can get a good taste of you're…" She felt him get hard, "Assets shall we say?"

"Sadly I'm too tired to even do anything right now Anko." He gave her a small smirk, "Maybe some other time."

"Too tired you say?" She gave him a creepy smile, "Then in that case." He felt her hit his neck, then everything went blank.

**Authors Notes**

Well I finally got a BETA :) Sorry it took so long to get this story up guys, as you can see it's rushed, very badly, it was meant to be longer than this, but I was busy this whole week, so yea.


	5. The Apprentice

**Chapter 5**

**:**_**The Apprentice**_**:**

"Ah good morning Naruto-Kun…" The sun was rising above the clouds, and Naruto opened his eyes to see Anko lying at his side, he couldn't see his clothes anywhere, hell there weren't clothes anywhere near either of them.

"Good morning Anko-San…" He rolled onto his side, "Have fun last night or was taking advantage of a tied ANBU Commander too boring for you?"

She laughed and grabbed him into a playful hug, "You act like you didn't enjoy it Naruto-Kun." She tugged on his arm a bit, "I mean you not only broke the damn chains, you fucked up my bed…" He turned to see that the once elevated bed was now laying flat on the floor with three missing legs.

"Well you started it…" He got up.

"And you finished it!" She got up and began to touch herself erotically, "But today is a new day and I could use some more." Naruto got up and stretched, not even caring that his pride and joy was suffering from morning wood.

"As much as I would like to Anko-San, I have some very important things to attend to…" He walked around the small room and not finding his clothes continued to search in the other rooms.

"Well if your looking for your clothes, then you should definitely look under the bed…" Naruto walked up to the bed and picked it up, it creaked and the last leg broke, ah there were his clothes, grabbing them he dropped the bed and looked at Anko. Admiring her beautiful form one last time as he began to get dressed.

"Maybe next time Anko-San." He disappeared in a quick flash appearing before an unconscious Hokage, it seemed that no matter what, this woman slept every moment she had, so he took his time in walking over to her and tapping her on the shoulder, now no one can state that they have some unique natural reflexes, but Tsunade sure can, I mean when your body can automatically channel chakra to your arm while swinging at the same time and being asleep still… That's just weird.

So Naruto had to narrowly dodged the incoming fist while also coming up with an excuse to exactly why he was here. "WHO IN THE…." She looked up, not blinking at the mask wearing blonde in front of her, "WHY YOU LITTLE BRAT DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!!"

"Actually Hokage-Sama I do, its currently one in the afternoon, way past wake up time if I do say so myself." The way he said it made Tsunade extremely irritated, "And it would be best if you had waken up a long time ago, you know to do what Kages do best…."

"Paperwork…" She stood up, stretching as she eyed the man before her, "So Naruto, what brings you here at this time of day?"

"Actually I came to ask you of a huge favor." She nodded, "And I need to request that someone help me with learning all the jutsus written on this scroll." She nearly laughed when he said the word help.

"Oh really now?" She smirked, "The oh so great Natural Assassin needs help with a few S-Ranked Jutsu?"

"No, I actually need a partner, more of a apprentice if you will…" Tsunade's eyes widened, "An apprentice that will listen to my every word, not disrupt me when I speak, one who is light hearted, who can be a Shinobi and a human all at the same time, and I need one fast…"

"Y-you want to take on an apprentice?" She wanted to laugh, she really did, but when your staring down a man that could kill you it was kind of hard, "Your barely in your twenties Naruto, how do you expect someone to look up to a twenty year old master?"

"And that is why I request a competent Shinobi, one who has seen battle, death, and knows of the value of life, someone who has first hand witnessed that people who are younger than them by years and seen that they could kill them in seconds…"

"Sakura?" Tsunade knew that Sakura was a good choice, but…

"Haruno would never do good under me…" He added a certain edge to his voice, "Believe me…"

"…Naruto you know that holding onto something like that isn't good for you." Tsunade sighed, "Holding a grudge simply because she didn't choose yo…" It seemed like every time she brought on the wrong subject he became like this, semi-evil with those damn eyes.

"I Hokage-Sama hold no grudge over Haruno-San because of the Uchiha…" His eyes gave off an erie glow, "I hold her for something far more serious than a petty relationship…." He sat in the chair located in front of her, "Why, would I, after so many years of being by her trying to get the Uchiha back, be mad that when I do bring him back, she goes after him, it was inevitable, it was destiny, her will." He crossed his legs, "No no see I hold what I would like to call a… dislike over the woman, her shrill voice annoys me, that barbaric hair an eyesore, and that temper I can simply do without." Tsunade got chills when he gave an eerie smile in her direction, "Now I don't hold grudges on people that don't deserve them so before you point fin…"

"And Kakashi?" Tsunade stared in his eyes, "If you could tell me exactly why you don't consent with him anymore?"

"Scarecrow?" A small chuckle escaped his lips, "That man is simply annoying, his tardiness, perverted tendencies, and mask are annoying and I do say so myself, bad for my health."

"He was your sensei was he not?" The stare down began, but she never stood a chance, those eyes were terrifying, like looking into the windows of your own soul, and she looked away.

"Ha sensei?" He stood, "That man would sooner burn in the seventh level of hell before he taught me anything dealing with Shinobi ways." He looked out the window, "My father's student could not even remember his own motto in the end, 'Those who disobey the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' He used to say it all the time." Naruto looked at his father's face, carved into that great stone mountain, "So what was I? Was I not a comrade, well he sure wasn't there for me then, why should he be here now?"

"Have you not learnt to forgive and forget Naruto?" She had an unshed tear bordering her eye, "You told me once that the past was past, that things that happened then should stay there, that the past should be the past, we live for our future, and forget the pas.."

"You think I forgot?" His voice was cold and ruthless, "You think that _I_ forgot what I said?" His eyes began to change again, "That _I _could forgot that I was the forgiver and everyone else the sinners?"The calm grey became the storm, burning with rage, "You lost your lover, your brother, and you relished in the past for more than twenty years, I _LOST_ my father, my mother, my innocence, my love, my life, everything I had I lost, and never once have I lived on the past, I'm not the same as I used to be, forgiving so easily, no they need to earn it _all_ back." She felt the room freeze over with a cold wind, "_Earn_ what the place they _once_ had in my heart, but never again…. Never again will I forgive so easily." The pressure dropped and she felt like a ten ton brick had just been lifted off her back.

"I see…" Tsunade stood, "Then I guess that they wouldn't fit into your position?"

"No they wouldn't…" He sat back down.

"Well I don't really know any good candidates Naruto…" She walked over to a cabinet on her left, drawing out several folders, all marked with names of active Jounin. "This right here is a list of all the Jounin in the village, stating their bios, pasts, mission records, you name it and its there…"

"I will see that I choose a good one then Hokage-Sama." Naruto took the files from Tsunade's hand, sealing them into a seal on his belt, "They will be back before tomorrow."

"I still can't believe your going to take on an apprentice." She gave him a small smile, remembering the younger him screaming out how he would take her place as Hokage, if only they were here to see what he had become…

"Sandaime-Sama took three apprentices Hokage-Sama, all of which became great Shinobi, some of the greatest, and their apprentices began to move forward, the toads becoming legend, and his second becoming present…" Naruto's voice trembled with pride, "I will take one in their names, and make sure that they become as good as they can get under me…"

She couldn't say anything, he said it in a way that made her realize that he was going to become the greatest by himself, and his apprentice would become his second coming. If only she could have his pride, his devotion, his strength, "Good Luck Naruto-Kun…" He bowed and was gone in moments. "Forgive me…"

**Konoha Market**

Naruto walked out in the open, without his mask and gear, no use letting the world know he was _that_ ANBU Commander. He passed up numerous stands, some useless, some interesting, some disgusting, and one that caught his attention. There stood a man, with a book in hand, he was blind, calling out random things and waving the book around, people were avoiding him, '_**No respect for their elders**_' He walked over to the older man, helping him down and sitting him on a stool in front of his stand, "Care to share with me what is wrong?"

"I am blind my boy…" The man coughed, "I am blind and dying, and this book is all that I have left, this is my history, my past…" He coughed into his hand, "Everything I have learned, all that I know, and all I will ever know is written in this book." He looked into Naruto's eyes, and seeing those endless pools of obscured blue Naruto felt pity, "My family is gone, my name in shame, and my sight gone." He began to shed tears, "Everyone who once knew me is gone, and now everyone ignores me, I am ignored and pitied…" The man wept into his clothes, "I'd give anything to see again, just one last time, look into space and see the sun set, to see the heavens set." The man stood, nearly tumbling, "Ah I'm sorry I was rambling too much young man, it is not right for an old timer like me to spread my pain to you, forgive me…"

"Wait…" The thin man halted as he looked at where he thought Naruto would be, "Grab my shoulder, please…" The man took steps forward, feeling Naruto's hair and traveling to his shoulder, and in a bright flash they were both gone, to a meadow far away from civilization, "I will give you one last wish, I do not know your name, nor your pain, but I will give a dying man his dying wish." He grabbed the mans face and they locked eyes, Naruto's grayish eyes began to change, becoming a glowing hue of yellow then fading to white, the old man fell to the floor and inhaled sharply. Naruto pulled back looking into the sky and letting out a pained groan, he let loose some breath and began to calm down, and the old man got up, his once faded eyes had become black, and he walked to Naruto slightly shaking, he grabbed his arm and sat him down.

He was speechless, such power, such magnificent power, and all at the hands of one young man. He had thought that it was gone, forever into the heavens, lost over One Hundred and Twenty years ago. Those eyes that had once roamed the world in the eyes of a beggar, a beggar that was a king, to look into the hearts of men, he gave the kind hearted the blood of a king, told them all that with the blood came powers that would grant them their greatest wish, but only those that were actually kind and loving took his word, took his blood into their own, and the effects. Bloodlines, amazing bloodlines came from solely one, the man died years later, leaving his blood to his family in the Land of Whirlpool. He had such a heart, and when he saw the man's dead body he thought that heaven was upon them. He remembered those once sparkling eyes becoming lifeless, their secrets, and powers gone from the world, and only those gifts remained.

He remembered the day he earned his gift, he and his brother had taken the man into their home, providing him with comfort and meals. Their clan home was fairly large, and everyone that lived in it was kind and gracious to the aging man. He was kind to them in return, giving them his precious blood, telling the brothers that they both mix their blood with his, and just a drop in each of their clansmen's mouth would give the family an undying gift, for their hospitality and kindness. He and his brother had done as asked, and the next day his clan had acquired one of the greatest bloodlines to grace the Earth. And now looking at the last Uzumaki alive, he felt ashamed to say that he had lost his gift, a long, long time ago, and once again the man from his past had saved him simply by having children, and his children having children, and the line went on…

"Such a technique should have been lost a long time ago Uzumaki…" The old man looked into Naruto's eyes and smiled, "Thank you for giving this old man his dying wish, I will give you this book now…" Naruto felt the book land on his lap and looked up, the man was gone.

'_He knew my name? It's not too strange, but that man had never seen me, yet that look in his eyes gave off so much pride. I don't understand how a blind man could write a book, or how his eyes could hold such emotion when he hasn't seen in who knows how long. The eyes of a Shinobi, but he didn't have any signs that told the world what he was, who is this man?' _He stared at the book, carefully opening it, the opening words stinging his heart, it couldn't be…

**Elsewhere **

"You mean the _Kitsune,_ as in ANBU Commander Kitsune?" Sakura was a bit awed, "I only met him once, he was lying in the hospital bed, I wanted to see his face but when I touched his mask he slapped my hand away."

"I couldn't see his face when he was in holding, it was just too dark…" Ino sighed, "If only I knew who he was, I mean all those kills are nothing to laugh about, especially that many in so little time."

"Yeah I know, Sasuke-Kun hasn't even come close to that in two years and he's gone almost every day." Sakura sipped from her cup, "I cant believe you almost found out his name."

"I know I know, he burned it before I found out who his father was…" Ino called the waiter over, "Can I have another please."

"Yes mam it will be right up." The girl took off into the back.

"So how is Sasuke anyways?" Ino drank the last bit of Sake in her saucer, "He hasn't been the same since he found out Naruto killed Orochimaru."

"Well he's been training really hard, hardly pays attention to me." Sakura looked away, "And ever since Naruto left team 7 he's been grumpy."

"Where has Naruto been anyway?" Ino's eyebrow rose, "It was hard to believe he could kill that man, but shouldn't he be here by now?"

"I don't know where he is, he's been distant from me since Sasuke came back." Sakura sighed, "He doesn't act like he cares about me anymore…"

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't."

"What makes you say that?" Sakura added an edge to her voice.

"I mean you not only made him bring Sasuke back, but when he brought him back you didn't even give Naruto any thanks or words to make him feel loved."

"What do you mean made him?" Sakura's voice rose, "I didn't make him do anything."

"Oh come on, 'Naruto promise me you'll bring Sasuke-Kun back for me, please Naruto, I love him!'" Ino leaned back, "He dedicated so much just to make you happy, I just don't understand why he would even try to go for you, to spend so much time on you, why you?"

"That's not making him Ino, he just promised, and I Uhh…" Sakura shrank back, "I _helped _ him reach what he is now."

"What? You couldn't help him reach jack shit but the ground." The sake arrived, "He was so nice to you, and you always treated him like shit Sakura."

"Like anyone else did any better!"

"Well I didn't even know him that well!"

"Then how do you know all this Shit!"

"THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD KNOWS ABOUT WHAT YOU DID!" Ino passed a bottle to Sakura.

"I DIDN'T FORCE HIM!" She began to chug the Sake.

"WELL YOU DIDN'T HELP HIM EITHER!" She too began to down the liquor.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" A man across from them screamed.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!" They both turned to him, what they saw surprised them.

"I come into this fucking bar to read, with no noise, this is a Shinobi bar and you two are acting like your little fucking kids." There in front of them was Namikaze Naruto, reading a thick book with no title, "Now shut up… Please!"

There was a tense silence, Sakura feeling her breath hitched in her throat, she couldn't speak. Here he was, after more than two years of silence, no hello's or goodbyes, and now here stood Naruto. Her childhood friend, the one who risked it all to make sure she had it all, yet she couldn't even speak to him, they were so close at one point, where did it all go?

"Na-Naruto?" Sakura got up with Ino, they were getting closer to him and finally reached his table, "Is it really you?"

"I don't know Sakura-San, maybe it is me, maybe it isn't, now please leave me alone."

"She just asked you a simple fucking question, you at least owe her a fucking yes." Ino was in his face.

"Yamanaka…" Naruto stood, he towered over the both of him, his long platinum hair riding down his face, he was the image of the Yondaime, "I owe nothing to anyone." He began to walk away.

"Wait Naruto-Kun…" Sakura grabbed his arm, "What did I do?"

"Nothing…" He pulled away, "You did absolutely nothing." He continued to walk away, but he was stopped by her again.

"What does that mean?" Sakura was at the verge of tears, "What did I do wrong Naruto, I haven't told you anything in two years."

"Exactly…" He faced her, "You didn't do anything." He pulled away a bit harder this time trying to get to the door to the dark bar before she could get a hold of him again.

"Stop Naruto…" Sakura pulled him again, "Talk to me, please…"

"Look Sakura-San, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to talk to Sasuke, I don't want to talk to Kakashi, I don't want to talk to any of you…" He pulled away even harder, she fell, "Now leave me alone."

"What the hell is your problem Uzumaki." He stopped dead in his tracks, "She's trying to talk to you and all you do is push her away…"

"Wow sounds familiar doesn't it." His eyes were downcast and shadowed, "By the way, my names not Uzumaki anymore…" He pushed through the door, ignoring all the stares he got from the various Shinobi in the bar, he hated making scenes…

**Training Field**

**51**

'_Make it go left…. Left damn it left, good good now up… up…UP… Son of a bitch up!' _The technique was extremely difficult for Naruto, even though the book said that it was a simple technique. '_Okay okay calm down, lets try this again..' _The fire in his hand would simply not take the shape he wanted, the book said that you need to gather the heat in your hand, condense it, create the fire, bend it like it was a part of you, but it was so difficult.

"I can do this with a chakra generated fire, but I cant do it with regular fire.." Naruto compressed the fire into a ball, so far the easiest thing to do. "You are an extension of myself, you must be me, I must be you, like wind and water we must be creator and creation, I will use you and you me, to bend at my will and I will bend at yours, you streak with the heat of the sun and I burn with the fury of a falling star, be me and I will be you." He closed his eyes, repeating the metaphor the book spoke of, he felt the fire in his hand, and tried to imagine it speaking to him… He felt like such a little kid, speaking to fire, then it bent, it turned, it curved, he could feel it raging, waiting to be released, like pent up stress about to shatter.

He opened his eyes and watched as it faded away, he still couldn't do it right, '_Kage Bunshin No Jutsu'_ two hundred clones popped in around him, "You know what to do…" He walked to the center and began to concentrate on making the fire gather in his palm, they all began to do the same, minutes later a small flame was emitting in his hand, his face being lightened under its calm flickers. He smiled, acknowledging his partner, he began to bend it, inch by inch, struggling to make it bend certain ways, _'Up… Down, left, left… right.'_ He began to sweat, it was becoming harder to bend, harder to expand, he gathered more heat, the fire grew, he began to pant, and the fire went out…

"Why oh why is this so hard?" He heard someone land behind him, flipping onto his feet he came face to face with a man he hated with a passion.

"Hatake-San." He gave a polite bow.

"Naruto-Kun…" Kakashi was a bit hurt that he wasn't called sensei, but whatever right, "You expect to get this done in a few days, its not that simple…"

"And you would know this because?" Naruto stared hard at Kakashi.

"I would know because it took me twenty three years to perfect manipulating complete fire." In his hand appeared a small ball of fire that grew from a few inches, to a few feet. "It was worth it though…"

"I'm not you…" He sat back down, gathering the fire in his hands and bending it in small intervals, beads of sweat rolled from his forehead.

"Naruto-Kun just hear me out here…"

"Why?" Naruto let the fire go, "Why now of all times? When I come back and am at peace, when the world knows who I am, and I become someone is it that you finally notice me? You, Sakura, everyone…" He stepped up to Kakashi, inches from the man's face, "Why is it that when I was a nobody, a boy that no one knew or cared for ya'll didn't give me the benefit of the doubt?" He backed up a bit, "BUT NOW…" He sat back down, "I'm the son of the greatest Hokage to date, your senseis son, apprentice of Jaraiya of the Sannin, and one of the greatest ANBU captains to come out of Konoha and you want to speak to me, when before it was only a hi Naruto, a bye Naruto, a no Naruto I'm too busy today, maybe some other time." His eyes began to change to a light shade of red, "Now you want to talk? Well guess what…" He sat back down and continued his training, "I'm busy…"

"I see…" Kakashi started to walk away, "Then I'll talk to you when you have time."

_I felt like a dick, beyond low, turning my back on an old comrade, but I wasn't in the mood to discuss my past with a man that didn't bother to help me when I needed it the most. He doesn't know of course, no one ever will, what it feels like to reject someone you love with your heart, but I must, I can't get too close to anyone, my dreams will come first, they must, they are all that I have right now, all that I've always had. It sickens me that I must kick away my past to reach my future, to act like I know nothing about my true self, like if my life is going just great right now. I wish I could kick myself, hurt myself in everyway, just to over rule the pain that I already feel. Oh I wish… I never realized how much I was hated here, how much I was really loved, I never knew a damn thing when I was here all those years as a boy, what am I now? 20 going to be 21, should I have lived this life? This nightmare in its highest form._

_Who can I possibly love that will love me back, that will wake up every morning knowing that I'm there for them, that me and me alone will be there for all eternity, that even in death I will find a way to look her in the eyes and tell her that I love her. Nothing will hold me back from her, I've defied fate, and all that bullshit, who says I cant defy the rules of heaven and hell. I want someone out there to recognize my true self, to want to hold me and comfort me when they know I'm hurting. AHH Why do I have to live this… this… WHAT IS THIS? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHY…. WHY WHY WHY!! Why me? Why does it happen to me? Just one day I want to live without a damn care in the world, like every other person has had a chance of doing. It makes me wonder if there is anyone out there with a life worse than mine, who has to literally crawl in the dirt and live their life without question, IS THERE? Do you treat people like that because you control their fate, do you feel good knowing that you can cause people pain? That you control what goes on in their life, pull every string till that person has nothing left to pull? DO YOU? _

_Tell me, send me a sign, tell me that I'm wrong, that you really don't have a choice in what happens. Do you think there is balance in this world? What if I snapped and destroyed this village, how would you feel knowing that I destroyed a whole village, knowing that you could have saved it…_

Naruto was flooded with information as his clones were destroyed, a huge fire overtaking the small field and killing his concentrating clones, he rose and performed a Suiton justsu. The water fell onto the burning grass, creating a small smoke screen, Naruto saw something shift in it, as if Kami were really replying to him, a tree fell down, then three more, then all the trees around him fell at his feet, "This your reply?" He walked to the fallen tree's, "Well I don't understand…" The trees around him began to break, splintering into thousands of pieces, when they were all gone, Naruto stood in the middle of a circle of wood, the last thing standing in the field. "Me and me alone huh… I face it all alone?" He picked up a few pieces, "I have to face these thousands of broken pieces alone…"

**Konoha Slums**

**Midnight**

Another full moon tonight, it made him realize just how late it was already, he was drenched in sweat and as tired as could be. Where exactly did he plan on staying? He didn't even know if his apartment was still even there, and if it was then it was probably a wreck. He walked in the dirty streets, the dirty smell giving evidence that the trash in the alley ways were just rotting away and leaving residue in its path, why would any part of town be neglected over everything else. It was a waste of space, to have such an ugly part of town in such a beautiful village, this place needed to be repaired, bought and made better. He was rich, I mean two years of constant killing and maiming important criminals could get you a lot of money, and he could technically buy all of the slums in a whole, but it was time taking and he would need help in establishing new building, homes, and apartments.

He stopped in the middle of the street, peering at all the rotting homes, would it be worth the time? Owning all that land and making his own place. He continued down the road, stopping at his old home, the apartment with the graffiti covering every inch of its walls. Yeah he wasn't going to stay here for tonight, but he really needed rest and a shower. He headed to the nearest hotel, finding a cheap on and settling into a small cozy room. He showered and slept, it was as simple as that, but as he slept his mind was far from simple. Nightmares plagued his every thought, death was in every corner of his mind, pain was filled to the brim, hate clouded every inch of his sub consciousness, his emotions were raging, and all the pent up stress was becoming fuel to this nightmare.

_He screamed, the fire raging around his naked body flicked at his skin, never ending pain was easing its way through his scarred body, his hair was becoming ash in the inferno that surrounded him, he couldn't breathe and soon he couldn't even scream. When he was left to only his sight, the images came, there it was the, the storm that raged in his mind, in the center stood all he ever cared for, they faced his greatest fear. He watched and watched as each fell to the creature that stood before them, and he continued to watch as they were separated limb from limb. Their screams were not heard for his ears had already become merely stubs, but their bloody ends were watched. Watched from the beginning where they fought with all they had, to the end where the last scream ended with a crushed skull. His eyes could not shed tears as he watched the creature defile the bodies of his loved ones, tearing their skin apart, eating their hearts, plucking their eyes out with the use of a nail, and he watched as the creature burnt their bodies. He couldn't scream as it walked up to him, calmly holding a blade in its right hand, he saw the creature get in his face, peering into the endless blue eyes of his nightmare, he stared into the soul of the man in front of him, and he watched as it plunged the sword into his stomach._

_Blood pooled beneath his burnt body, soon bubbling up as the fire turned it into a red mist, he watched the sword enter his left shoulder, unable to scream he tried to grab the bloody weapon, only to see his arm become a stub as the creature tore it from his shoulder. Throwing it into the fire the creature grabbed Naruto and made him look in his eyes, **"I am your Nightmare, I am your pain, I am your weakness, I am your fear, I am your hate, your lust, your emotions, I am your opposite, I am your equal, I am your true destiny, your desire, your will, I carry your secrets, I can destroy you, I am your death, your devil, your god…" **__The creatures once blue eyes became grey, **"I am your all Naruto, because I am you…"** Naruto watched himself plunge the sword into his heart, unable to die his body simply writhed in pain, falling into the puddle of blood beneath him he felt the fire tear at his eyes, and with all he had, he screamed, somehow finding his voice and energy. The scream was blood_ _curdling, making the creature before him laugh, he felt the fire hover over his back, and the last thing he saw was his body become ash._

He woke up screaming, his body was cold and his pale hair matted to his face, sweat was collected on his chest as he struggled for breath. He felt around for his sword, soon finding it to his left on the floor, he unsheathed it checking for blood, finding none he stood. Walking to the balcony window he stepped out for fresh air. The wind hit him, chilling his already frozen body, he looked below to the empty streets, watching as dust picked up in the breeze. He pulled out his sword in a quick motion, making the person beside him flinch, "You know it's not right to spy on people." The person beside him squirmed, "Yamanaka-San…" Ino pulled away from the wall, inching away from the stoic Naruto.

"How did you…" The blonde was cut off by the ANBU Commander.

"I've lived my whole life under threat, if I couldn't even sense you." He gave her a small grin, "I'd have died a long time ago." Ino stood in front of him, eyes set in a glare.

"Your him aren't you?" She looked into his bluish grey eyes.

"Excuse me?" Naruto stepped forward a bit.

"You're the Commander aren't you." Ino watched him, not seeing him move an inch, his face set in stone.

"What makes you say that?" The Demon Host made Ino follow him inside. Leading her into the small kitchen they sat at the wood table.

"You go missing for two years, he goes missing for two years." She paused, "You have blonde hair, he has blonde hair, and you both have the same eyes…"

"I see…" She didn't see him move, the only indication that he had was the feeling of cold steel at her throat, "Now that you know, I have to kill you…" It was a rugged whisper, chilling her skin and making her sweat.

"Wait I wo…" She was silenced as he pulled the blade back, she heard him laugh and turned around watching him laying on the floor giggling like a ten year old.

"You shoulda seen the look on your face, it was.. Was…" He stopped to think of a word, catching the fist coming to his face… "Hmm priceless?" Ino sat back down seething.

"I can't believe you did that…" She huffed. He got up and sat in front of her.

"So why did you come here?" His face was serious, this was not the time for fooling around.

"I need to talk to you…" Her face became neutral, "Its about Sakur.."

"Stop, I don't want to hear about it." Naruto stood making his way to his bed.

"Wait I want to know why you did what you did today!" She watched him lay down and stand back up.

"Ino-San you have to understand…" He shook his head, "I don't want to have anything to do with her…"

"But why?" She was desperate to know.

"Because she doesn't deserve my recognition." He looked in her eyes and turned his back to her.

"I want to know why though, tell me!" She grabbed his arm making him look into her eyes again.

"It's not something I can explain with words Ino." He saw her slump her shoulders. "Because I don't know how…"

"But I need to know!" She pulled him closer to her, "Please!" His heart was racing, was she doing this to him? He sighed.

"Fine.." He made her look into his eyes, "What your about to see is a secret, you can tell no one, and never speak of this."

"You have my word." With that her world faded into the past of Namikaze Naruto.

_It was fast, images flew around her, in a sphere while she hovered in blackness the images just rotated and revolved. Never experiencing anything like this before she screamed, till she felt his hand on her shoulder, there standing by her was Naruto, so she relaxed and watched the images come at her, and go through her._

**I never thanked you for saving me Sasuke-Kun, I mean I would be dead if you hadn't taken Gaara out. **_I never touched Gaara for you… It was Naruto_

**Ha you don't need to lie to me Sasuke-Kun. **_I wouldn't lie to anyone, especially when it comes to powerful battles, he saved you that day and you sit here thanking me._

**It doesn't matter anyways, are you alright here in the hospital… Sasuke-Kun?**

**I love you Sasuke-Kun, don't leave me…**

**Naruto bring him back, **_it's a promise of a lifetime Sakura-Chan._

**Where's Sasuke-Kun?**_ Gone, he nearly took Naruto with him too, nearly took him away from us…_

**No but where is Sasuke-Kun?**_ With Orochimaru…_

**Naruto you lied to me… **_Sakura-Chan I'm sorr… _Slap.

**WHERE IS HE NARUTO? You promised me Naruto, it was a promise… **_ I'm sorry._

**Naruto… You baka. **_What did I do this time?_

**Does it matter…**

**Sasuke**

**Sasuke**

**Sasuke**

**Sasuke**

**SASUke**

**SASUKE**

**SASUKE SASUKE SASUKE**

…

**We can work together now.. To bring back Sasuke-Kun, and this time I can help and not be useless…**_You were never useless Sakura-Chan._

**But I failed him!**_ He failed himself._

**Why do you talk about him like that? He's your teammate…** _He abandoned me._

**You were always jealous of him weren't you?**_ Jealous?__Never Jealous,__ I just hated his guts._

**How do you plan on getting Sasuke-Kun back here Naruto-Kun?**_ It doesn't matter, even if I have to drag him back here without his legs I guarantee he'll be back._

**Do you want to go out for dinner today Naruto-Kun?**_ Sure I'd love to._

**How about Ichirakus this time? **_Now your talking_

**Sushi? **_It doesn't matter_

**Rice Cakes?**_ Anything you want._

**Picnic?**_ Definitely a good idea._

**My apartment this time?**_ I don't think I've ever been there before._

**Do you want to come over to meet my parents Naruto-Kun? They've been dying to meet you? **_Sure I've been wanting to meet them for a long time now._

**I guess you can consider this one a date…**_ I sure hope it is._

**Wanna go out again?**_ Sure where to?_

**You free this week? **_Actually yeah, its my week off!_

**Doing anything today? **_Nah just got done with training.._

**So how was your day? **_Great, I finally made it into ANBU, and I think I'm going to do pretty good with the team I'm in._

**So how bout a first kiss Naruto-Kun?**_ Uh… Hehehe uh… _

The image of the two kissing under the moonlight entered Ino's mind, and she turned to Naruto, who was glaring at the image of it. Then it went by as soon as it was their. Months of going out together passed down and Ino was wondering why Naruto hated Sakura so. At first it was obvious, she was evil, always putting him down, then she got better, and soon it looked like they were in love.

**I Love you…** _I love you too._

**I missed you all week! **_ Me too… But me and the guys got stuck on a mission._

**I Love you**

**I Love you **

**I love you**

**I Love You **

**I LOVE you**

**I LOVE YOU**

They continued to date for months later, and a certain scene caught Ino's breath, Naruto was 16 at the time, and was in Suna, but the image of a sparkling diamond embedded into a silver ring caught her attention. Engraved in it were the words, _'I Love you Sakura Haruno' _Marriage… He was sixteen and so sure he loved Sakura enough to marry her. But on his way back to Konoha nothing went as planned, a messenger bird found it's way to Naruto, slipping a note into his hands the bird flew away.

Sasuke Uchiha was spotted thirty three miles from your location… Be careful Kitsune…

Images of a bloody Naruto showing up at the gates of Konoha with Sasuke in his arms plagued Ino. So it was true, Naruto did it all alone. She watched him drag the body of his friend past the guards, they didn't even attempt to stop him, she watched him drag Sasuke through the streets, through the market, past the tower, and he dropped at the hospital doors.

_I brought him back Sakura-Chan… hehe._

He was in a coma for a week, straining his body too much he was in what Tsunade called a deep sleep. There wasn't much cause for worry, and the only thing he could remember were the people that visited him, their voices, and the small glimpses of their faces, but she waited and waited to hear Sakura, to see her face, even just once…

Naruto you finally wake up… stupid Gaki scaring me like that!_You know I'm the type for dramatics Ba-Chan…._

_How long was I out?_ A week, not really much for all that strain on your body.

_Strain?… WHERES SASUKE?_ In his room, Sakura hasn't left his side since your brought him through the doors.

…_._ Naruto? 

… Hey snap out of it!

_Huh?_ _Oh sorry about that, so how is he?_ Stable, he's lucky that you brought him straight home, because if you hadn't then he'd have died of blood loss.

The utter pain in his eyes were visible to Ino, how could the girl who claimed that she loved him not even visit? She could see in the way his shoulders slumped, that fake smile, fake laugh, ugly grin… Must have been a blow…

Now onto business, Final techniques and estimated battle time? _…_

Kitsune? _Oh right, Oodama Rasengan, Chidori, I'd say fifteen tops, he kept on getting up…_

Then how the hell did you get so hurt? _Lets just say he had friends…_

I see.

Days of images passed, he laid in the hospital beds, getting frequent visits from all his friends, even her. Where was Sakura though? Two weeks passed, no sign of her, three, four, five, two months, three months, four months, five mon…

**Naruto? **

**Hey?**

**I know your in here, this is your apartment after all…**

**Naruto? Where are you?**

**We need to talk**

**Really come out please.**

**Hey?**

**Hey…**

Ino saw him sitting at the table, guessing that he had a genjutsu over him, since Sakura apparently didn't see him.

**Come on Naruto come out we really need to talk!**

**Where have you been Naruto?**

Ino could feel his anger, even through the images she could feel it radiating like heat from a raging fire, was she really wondering where he had been. After two weeks in the hospital he was out, waiting for her, a week later he took role as ANBU Captain over, then his job came first and foremost. But he never heard a word from her, left a shadow clone at home just to be sure, now she was here five months later. He was seventeen now, among the best in Konoha…

**Naruto?**

_WHAT?_

_WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME NOW?_

_AFTER FIVE MONTHS AM I FINALLY ALIVE TO YOU?_

_HUH SAKURA?_

_WHAT DO YOU WANT?_

_WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?_

_WHAT WHAT WHAT!!  
_

His voice was a whisper.

_What could you possibly want with me…_

_Why come here?_

_Just leave…_

**Naru..**

_**LEAVE**_

Months passed, and he finally forgave her, they talked, but he never told her he loved her anymore, never said that he cared, never kissed her, and he let the pain go.

**Were getting married Naruto!**

**Be the best man?**

Everything cracked, not a sound in the air but Ino's soft crying. She regretted asking, now she knew and she wish she didn't. How could someone be so coldhearted, she never heard a thank you come from Sakura's mouth, not a word of thanks or comfort… She would never be able to look at her the same again.

"I.. I'm sorry." Silent tears fell from her eyes, she stared into Naruto's eyes, waiting for some kind of emotion, but nothing was there.

"Theres nothing to be sorry for, that's just life Ino…" He walked over to his bed, "That's just life."

She sat down by his side, it was silent, "Ino, about that technique, don't say a word, my bloodline is a secret, and even I don't know a whole lot about it yet…" The blonde gave her a small smile. "And thanks for asking about that, I needed to get that off my chest."

"Think nothing of it, and I'm sorry for earlier." She gave him a grin, "Anyway I can pay you back?"

"Actually I do, but its not just for me." He grabbed a scroll from beneath his bed, "I need you to become my apprentice.

* * *

**:Authors Notes:**

_**Im pretty impressed with how this came out, its long and well its not the best but good enough. The whole Sakura dialogue is a bit personal for me / Using some of my emotions to write it I hope it came out ok.**_

_**Thanks to all who reviewed and to Killer Intent for his help on certain things.**_

_**And if there are any mistakes, sorry, but I don't have a BETA**_

_**All by me!**_


	6. Plans

**My bad guys, but i've been busy, and this update isnt as long as the others, i'll try to write more soon.**

**Chapter 6**

**:**_**Pushing Yourself**_:

"No your doing it all wrong, watch me one more time." Naruto did a spiraling back flip, bringing his leg down onto a rock, crushing it under the immense pressure. "I've told you that I don't expect you to do it like me, I had trained for months on simply strength and speed, but I'm going to get you to knowing the Taijutsu before we get to the rest."

"Hai Naruto-Sensei." Ino repeatedly tried to get the nigh impossible task of flipping while somehow pulling out her leg in a kicking motion, it was always halfway through where she would lost her balance in midair because her weight wasn't balanced in the center.

It had been a month already, since that night, and Ino had gladly accepted his offer. Well who wouldn't? It was a chance of a lifetime, and when they started training and she got to learn all those forbidden techniques, it was priceless. She couldn't believe that _Kage Bunshin no Justu_ was such a hard jutsu to perfect, it took immense chakra, and then you had to spread that chakra out of your body so that It could be duplicated into the body the Bunshin being made. It took her three days to learn it, or at least partially learn it, now there weren't completely dead clones coming out. It was the first technique he taught her, saying that if she wanted to pick everything he was going to teach her up, then she had to know it. She learned why the day she got the move down. Knowledge acquired by a clone was sent to the user after its death or release, that knowledge could benefit the user in many ways, and Naruto used it for training…. He used a lot. Where she could make a good fifty, he could bring out thousands, and the training was intense. She could see him now, flying through hand signs with thousands of clones by his side, trying to perfect those _Forbidden Jutsu_ from Iwa, she had to learn them too, but with only fifty clones it took her the whole month, it took Naruto a day. Now she knew the difference between an ANBU Captain and Naruto, one was simply an ANBU while Naruto was the Apprentice of a Sannin.

During the whole month of constant practice, constant hand seals, and constant chakra depletion Ino had gotten the techniques down, but she had to thank Naruto for it all, his constant pushing and famous line, _'Keep pushing yourself Ino.'_ At first it was annoying, then it became a nagging, then helpful, and then it became her inspiration. His constant pushing lead her to knowing the Rocks most valuable techniques. After training each day he would take her out to eat, whether it be Ramen or some other type of food, their moments of eating together lead to her knowing a lot about Naruto. He was brilliant, strong, determined, and a kind hearted person to those he cared about. Every time she was hurt during practice or ran out of chakra he was there to pick her up, carry her home, heal her, and then stay to make sure she was ok. So after a while she got used to waking up with him sitting in a chair by her bed, she felt good knowing that he was there to help at all times.

Now it was Taijutsu, and his so called _training_ was hell, what he called a warm up was a full days workout and then some. His constant push ups, sit ups, crunches, kicks, punches, sprints, wearing weights, one finger push ups… (Who knew chakra could help a finger lift you up…), climbing a tree without your legs, pull ups, and other workouts. But her favorite part of the training was his crazy Taijutsu Style, he hasn't named it yet, constantly telling her maybe someday he'll think of some bad ass kick ass name for it. It focused mainly on kicks, verifying from on the ground strikes to midair flipping kicks that had absolutely no form at all. How he could even manage to make such a chaotic form of fighting was a mystery to her, she just knew that she wanted to learn it. Even though most of the strikes were kicks, one of the important things of the style were the upper body strikes, using punches, elbows, head butts, which were mainly the distractions, you would bring in the kicks to the upper body after feinting whatever strike you threw first. She completely sucked at even the basics, but he had continuously told her that the basics were going to be the hardest thing for her simply because it was the beginning of the style.

It was barely her first day on Taijutsu and she was already down to this… "Get up Ino… Don't give me that face you know I won't let you stop…" She pouted some more, "Ugh okay okay, break time."

"Yatta." She cheered in victory, getting up and dusting herself off. Breaks were rare, extremely rare unless Naruto was hungry, which he usually was, but training came first to him, and it wasn't until he felt he was ready to eat to let her have a break with him. "So what do you want to eat today?" Ino's eyebrow rose as Naruto got into his extreme thinking pose, sitting down Indian style and raising his fingers in the air and humming.

"mmm… It seems Ino is asking the unthinkable, mmmmm… Must she ask this everyday when the answer is as clear as the blue in the sky, mmmm…." **Thump**

"Sorry mister _'Ramen is gods soul'_ if I don't feel like letting my figure go for such a simple food as ramen!" The seas froze over, the clouds in the sky came to a halt, it became dark, and the sun faded out…

"Ramen is _What?_" His voice was chilly, striking in fear all around him, but she stood her ground.

"_RAMEN_ is simple!" And then all hell let loose.

"**AHHHHHHH**" Naruto let loose a mighty battle cry!

"**GAAAHHHHH**" Ino letting out her own.

"_**JAN-KEN-PON**__._" Naruto held rock while Ino held scissors.

"Hahahaha Ramen is almighty." He gave her a wry smile, "And as you can see the gods have punished you with bad luck for even thinking of their soul food as _simple_."

"Ah whatever you win this time Naruto-_Sensei_." She hmphed and walked away from the ANBU Commander, "Besides it will catch up to you soon…"

"Ha the day that happens is the day I ask you to marry me!" Naruto chuckled as Ino became stiff.

"I'd never marry _you!_" The rose tint in her cheeks never catching Naruto's eye.

"Never said you would." He smiled as he began to walk away, "Now come on I'm starving." She jogged to catch up to him, her legs aching as she finally reached the unpredictable captain. "Hey Ino…"

"What?" She turned to look in his eyes, they were gleaming, and she became amazed, the once foggy blue grey eyes were changing, from that light grey to a misty purple.

"I'm proud of you." He smiled at her, never noticing her shocked state, "And I'm glad I chose you as my apprentice." She heard him, his words taking her out of her appalled state, her heart was beating vigorously, the soft thumps feeling throughout her whole body, what was this feeling…

"I- hehe uh thank you." She wanted to scream at him, thank him with every inch of her being, get on her knees and yell at the top of her lungs that she was thankful that he chose her, but she couldn't get herself to do it, no it was too embarrassing. She never noticed that stray look he sent her way, nor the way he smiled when she look at the ground to shy away from the embarrassed feeling she possessed at the moment.

"It really means a lot to me that you take this seriously." His blonde hair swayed a bit as the wind picked up.

"It really means a lot to me that you push me." Ino stopped with him mid-stride. "Loo…" She was cut off.

"Ah enough with the mushy stuff hurry up I'm hungry." He laughed as he began to run off in the direction of Ichiraku's. Ino's blush faded, her emotions pulling a complete 360 as she began to fume..

"GET BACK HERE YOU STUPID BLONDE!" It didn't matter that she so happened to be a blonde too, just that a certain Jinchuriki was somehow always doing some unpredictable shit.

**Location Unknown**

_**:**_**Itachi Uchiha****_:_**

Two men sat around a burning fire, the taller of the two munching on what looked like cooked fish, his dark blue hair was spiked everywhere, his cold blue eyes and razor sharp teeth shining through the fire light, he ate fast, giving no time for the food to get cold. His partner sat by his side, his long black hair going back into a pony tail, his crimson eyes held three comma like shapes, his mouth set in a frown.

"This seems foolish…" His blue haired partner looked at him.

"I know…" He couldn't agree more, "This is suicide ha, but hey who gives a rats ass."

"Not just that Kisame." Itachi's eyes landed on his, "They plan on annihilating Konoha, burning it to the ground, and destroying the world…" Itachi sighed, "I do not think that I can handle destroying my home, seeing all it's people scream in horror, watch as my homes walls crumbled before my power, because then all that I did, all that I ever did, all that I've done, all that I was planning on doing will be for nothing."

"Then fuck it, leave, go back home and do something about all this." Kisame gave him a smile, "Besides I for one want my old home to burn to the ground, so joining you wouldn't be so bad in the long run." He let out a short laugh, "And I might be able to meet that Kyuubi brat again, that fuckers always giving me a run for my fucking money!"

"Leader will not be pleased." Itachi gave a scowl.

"When is he ever?"

"I still do not understand why he's so bent on world destruction, he's a fool that thinks he can play god, and one day his eyes will be his downfall." Itachi stood up, watching as the fire became nothing as he and Kisame took off at untraceable speeds.

"Geez if his eyes didn't look so cool I wouldn't have listened to a damn thing he's ever said." The blue skinned Shark man was still intent on finishing his food, ignoring the trees that passed him by, "Besides, we both know that Leader isn't the real Leader, Madara has proven once again that he can beat Pain."

"That may be true, but look at it this way, Madara has absolutely no intentions of letting Konoha stay at peace, and I'm positive that he's in Iwa right at this moment." Itachi dodged a low branch.

"Suicide I'm telling ya, it's just fucking suicide." Kisame finished his last piece of fish and dropped the remains to the forest floor. "But no one ever listens to the blue guy…"

"What should we do?" For once in Kisame's life he had witnessed Uchiha Itachi become confused, not only did the impossible just happen, it happened in front of his eyes.

"You know your usually the one that makes all the decisions, you freaking pocky addict." His eye twitched as Itachi bit into a stick of strawberry pocky. "And well hmmm, I guess Konoha would be a good place to go, if they don't kill us at the gates, and maybe… Hey, hey, are you even listening, GAH you bastard Itachi pay a-fucking-ttention."

**Konoha**

**Tsunade's Office**

"No we need you to be training every available Jounin to be at your level within these two years to come." The blonde at the desk stared down the masked man in front of her. "And before you ask me if Naruto can do it, no, he can't he is training an apprentice as we speak, and it would be suicide if you tried to take that away from him."

"I see then Hokage-Sama…" Kakashi raised his brow as Tsunade brought a shot of Saki to her lips, "But if I may, who is Naruto's apprentice?"

"Yamanaka-San of course." Tsunade smiled, "That girl will be the end of poor Naruto-Kun, you really should watch one of his training sessions, he is a magnificent teacher."

"I wouldn't put it past him to turn her into some kind of beast on the field." Kakashi chuckled, "Last I heard Iwa feared him to a great extent, after all he was there for some time, and his team…" He scratched the back of his neck, "Well they beat my record at accomplished missions, and their teamwork was amazing."

"Well then Kakashi, will you do as I ask?" She looked at him with a stern gaze, "After all this is necessary if we wish to survive this upcoming war…"

"I'll do it…" Tsunade smiled.

"Well Th…"

"On one condition!" Kakashi's eye became a U.

"Which would be."

"I want you to hand the title of Icha Icha Paradise to Naruto." His smile kept up, "He must continue the legacy that is Icha Icha!"

"Oh…" She sighed, "This is going to get so much more complicated…"

**Iwa**

**:Base of Operations:**

"I think his plan is full proof." A man in a black Tuxedo shouted out.

"Really now Kimura-San?" Korabuma stood, "And why do you think this plan will go through without fail?"

Kimura fidgeted for a second, "As Madara said, when there main force goes to the center of the village, we hit them hard from the west wall!"

"And that will not work!" Korabuma slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, "They wont go for the diversion, no one ever goes for the diversion!"

"Korabuma-San sit down…" A man in a long black coat stood, "Korabuma here thinks that my plan will fail, hence his unnecessary yelling, and I want to know what your _almighty_ Tsuchikage thinks of the situa…"

"It will fail." Madara had a shocked look on his face, "It will fail simply because the diversion is not great enough to draw out a _main_ force, simply piss of a few canon fodder."

"Really now?" Madara sat and leaned back in his chair, "Then what do you propose Toraske?"

"If we do succeed in cutting off Suna from Konoha, then we need to secure Suna by siege." Everyone stared at their kage, "And annihilate them so they won't become a nuisance at a later time." He stood, "Then when we do attack Konoha, it cannot be in waves, no chance in hell will just a few waves make their walls crumble, no we need a full out attack on one gate, then send in canon fodder to the other gates, confuse our enemies by switching out rank jackets, Genin wearing Jounin jackets, Jounin wearing Chuunin, and Chuunin wearing Genin." He smiled, "Who will they go for?" He laughed, "The strong Jounin over there, or the weak Genin over there." The room was quiet for a few seconds, then Madara stood and began clapping.

"As brilliant as that is, what is the real chance of destroying Suna without Konoha helping them?" Madara was not smiling, "They will counter us and then what?"

"You forget we have other allies, this is not simply Iwa and Sound, no this is much much more!" The Tsuchikage chuckled, "I will send all those Canon Fodder to distract Konoha's forces while our real army massacres Suna."

"And that my friend is where you hit your line in this plan." Madara rose to his full height and pulled off his hood, his Sharingan spinning wildly in the mild darkness of the room, "You are a fool Tsuchikage, and because of your foolishness you are risking this war and my plans, and that, yes that is unacceptable, so I propose we go by another plan."

"Which would be?" The angered Tsuchikage replied.

"I have bijuu at my command, at my will." Madara paused, "I have Akatsuki at my beck and call, some of the greatest ninja to walk the Earth are in my palms, some even surpassing you!" The Tsuchikage stood in outrage, "And before you complain, I want to propose this…"

**Uchiha Sasuke**

**:Outskirts of Konoha:**

'_He's back again. Naruto Naruto Naruto…' _

'_Imagine that right, two years and the fool finally comes back to absolutely nothing. No lover, a broken home, no spirit, no team, no friends, nothing. Yet he walks the streets as if everything is fine. I've been watching him lately, starts off in the streets, then just disappears, without a trace, gone, invisible. Sakura's been moping around lately, like a kicked puppy let loose in the garden, she hasn't even tried to hug me. Finally…'_

The black haired man jumped the tree's at a brisk pace. It was an A-Ranker. Kinji Shimuzu. Supposed serial killer of Rainbow country, expert in Genjutsu, powerhouse in Taijutsu, no Ninjutsu…

He eyed the ground warily, his eyes a deep crimson with the three comma's spinning wildly like a wheel. _'There.'_ It was supposed to be a challenge to him, but from the looks of it, he was like the rest, boring and weak. How they achieved the rank he, Sasuke Uchiha, got was beyond him. He an Uchiha barely A-Ranked… Pitiful.

He dropped down silently, drawing his blacked blade, no reflection, no sound, nothing penetrated the air but the hard edged blade that came down on a stump. Sasuke tensed, jumped back and watched as a foot destroyed the stump he was near. _'I see… Powerhouse' _He backed up and got into his stance, watching as his foe tensed and charged. He was fast, extremely so, but Sasuke was faster. He dodged every punch and kick, blocked the non-lethal ones, and came back with counters. For every ten misses his foe threw, Sasuke landed three hits. After ten minutes of useless fighting Sasuke took charge and ended the battle of fists. Kinji fell. He watched Sasuke put his blade to his neck.

**Darkness…**

It was all black, the air around him cold, and when he turned to meet his foe he met nothing but air. He tried to scream, shout, fight, but nothing happened. He looked everywhere, but when he felt something was there, there was nothing. He felt a prick in his leg, then in his arm. His eyes bled, his arms felt weak. Sasuke fell to his knees as blood clotted in his veins. Poison? Something…

The cold feeling of steel to his neck made him aware of his fate. All he heard was, 'I am a Genjutsu Master…' Blood fell as the black haired man drew breath no more. He choked the rising vomit and blood, attempted to scream to world, and as Sasuke polished off his blackened blade, he smiled, "Yeah I am a Genjutsu Master…"


	7. Looming War

"Get up Ino." Naruto gave her his hand and pulled her up. "You're getting much better, but there are still some flaws in your form." He walked up to her and pointed to various parts of her body, "This is a full body fighting style Ino, you have to go with what you feel is right. Just because you see me doing small adjustments to how I fight does not mean you have to do the same ones."

"I know! It's just so frustrating!" She sighed, "It's like my head is telling me to go against what my body is saying!"

"Then ignore it" She was about to interrupt him, "I know I know, it's a small buzzing that will only go away with practice. Your mind will always give you a slight tingle because your going against it. That's only fear though Ino." He smiled, "Again."

She went through the multiple strikes, ignoring the tingly feeling in her legs as she twisted her body in various bizarre ways.

Naruto was about to comment on a certain kick when he felt another presence. " What is it Kakashi?"

"Nothing much, just came by to give you the recent update." He gave Naruto an eye smile, "She's getting quite phenomenal isn't she?"

"What do you have to report?"

Kakashi handed him a sheet of paper. Naruto's eyes ran over every line, his eyes scanning every name and piece of information.

"It's been five months Kakashi..." Naruto sighed, "This is progress, but it's not enough!"

"I don't know what you want me to say Naruto-Kun, I have to work with hundreds of ninja, I can't give every single one of them one on one advice..."

"I know..." He turned to his training apprentice, "Look I'm going to help you out. Every day I'll send a few hundred clones to instruct the other ninja, but listen Kakashi..." Naruto looked into the man's only visible eye, "**You**will still show up every day on time to aid these shinobi because you are a figure that they need right now."

"Deal."

"Now go on then."

He saw Ino fall to the floor in a sweaty heap, "You alright?"

"Yeah." She panted, "I'm just exhausted."

"Alright, well I have some good news." He sat down next to her. "We're going to move onto something more important than you Taijutsu."

"We're moving on?" Surprise was plastered on the blonde's face.

"Yeah, I need to introduce you to hell." The two disappeared in a flash of yellow, appearing in a clearing just outside of Konoha.

Naruto walked his apprentice to the center of the clearing, pointing to the thick stone pillar dead center of the field. "This Ino..." Naruto grinned, "Is what you will be working on for the duration of the year."

"What do you mean?" The blonde really did look confused.

"You will continue to punch this stone until you can completely shatter it." He gave her an evil grin, "But the catch is... You can't use any chakra."

"WHAT?" The look of horror on her face was priceless to the Jinchuriki, "That's impossible!"

"I've done, and can still do it." He stepped away from the pillar, "Now get started because I have to go run a few errands."

With that the blonde ANBU Captain disappeared in a flash of yellow and reappeared at his favorite ramen bar. "So what brings you here?"

"I thought it would be nice to speak to the only friend I have."

Naruto smiled as he look at Gaara of the sand, "It's been a while hasn't it Gaara?"

"It's been four years." The red head looked his fellow Jinchuriki in the eyes, "I've been told that there is great danger coming upon Konoha, I saw it fit for me to come and ask you directly because you are the one who informed Tsunade."

"Rock will be unleashing hell in a few years Gaara, and from what I've seen..." The blonde looked at the Kazekage with something akin to fear in his eyes, "They are going to dominate this war."

"What do you mean?"

"Gaara, listen to me, they have been training for this since Kyuubi attacked Konoha." Naruto leaned against the counter, "It wasn't a secret that the Kyuubi weakened Konoha like we wanted it to be, no, instead the Tsuchikage heard about it and decided that it was his time to prepare for war. Twenty years Gaara, these people have been training for twenty years."

"Then what do we do?" Gaara's face was set into a look of frustration, he was strong, he knew this, but even he had a limit when it came to power. Facing an army alone would not end well for him or his people.

"I've asked Tsunade to begin training our own forces. With the combined effort of some of our best Jounin and myself, in the past six months we're making some progress... but it isn't enough." Naruto put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Gaara you need to get your forces stronger. You need to get stronger. Everyone needs to get stronger because these people are not doing this for land."

There was a moment of silence as Gaara looked Naruto in the eyes. He wondered what this man had seen that caused such fear to be present in the Jinchuriki. Naruto was known to be tough, unshakable, and an all around cocky person, but something had shaken him to the core.

"They're doing it to take over everything."

"What did you see Naruto?" Gaara watched him turn his head away.

"Madara Uchiha is helping them." The blonde sighed, "He has the bijuu."

It hit him like a block of steel to the chest. The leader of the Akatsuki had the bijuu. This war was going to be the deciding factor for the rest of time. Gaara stood up and shook the blonds' hand, "I have to be going now Naruto... Thanks for the information, and be careful out there." The red head disappeared in his usual swirl of sand.

* * *

Kakashi stared at the shinobi in front of him.

"Look at me." The crowd before him seemed tense, "Iwa has men that are twice as strong as you, every single one of you!" He roared at the crowd, "Do you want to die? Do you want Konoha to burn to the ground?" There was a chorus of 'No', "Was that a no?" Once again the bellowing echoed through the training field, "Then what the hell are you all doing?"

Silence was his response.

"You all think this a game?" There was fury in his eyes, "This is **not** funny." He pointed to a single shinobi out in the crowd, "You!"

"Me?"

"I've been watching you, did you know that?" Kakashi was swallowed up by the Earth, a scream was heard in the crowd, and the man he pointed at was dragged into the dirt. Kakashi appeared above him, "You don't take this seriously. When we run, you don't sprint, I watch you jog. When we practice the very jutsus that will be used to end your life, you don't train till you drop! THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE!" The crowd roared with their leader, "WITH ALL OF YOU!"

There was a sudden flash of yellow and a man appeared. Everyone gawked at the man that looked exactly like their Yondaime Hokage.

"Hello men..." Naruto glanced at Kakashi and actually smiled at him, "I'm glad you're actually taking this seriously." The crowd stared at him in wonder, "Hello men. I am Namikaze Naruto, yes I share an uncanny relationship to the fourth, but stop gawking at me. Since Tsunade herself can't exactly train the army, I'm going to be in charge of how the forces will be trained and handled out in the field. Don't look at me like I'm some snob that doesn't know a thing about war. I am an ANBU commander and will treated with respect." He stared every man in the eye with a hardness gained through experience, "You will treat me with respect even though I may be younger than some of you because I have earned it. I am the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi as some of you know, but that doesn't mean a thing. I am one of you. I am willing to lay my life down to protect the very walls that house us right now."

The shinobi before him stood ramrod straight, this man didn't seem like he was going to let them get away with a thing. "There are thousands of you and only a few elite to teach you, I'm going to remedy that..." With a huge blast of smoke, thousands of blondes appeared, "These clones will help every single one of you achieve new limits because they will be watching every move you make."

Kakashi stared at his ex-student with pride in his eyes, he may not have contributed much to the blondes' development, but he was proud all the same.

"Now... Let's begin." There was a chorus of 'Hai' as the shinobi began training once again.

Naruto turned to Kakashi with a slight grin. "Not bad eh?"

"That was actually quite the speech there." He eye smiled at the blonde.

"You didn't do too shabby yourself there old man." Kakashi nearly face planted.

* * *

"You should have know better than to defy me Toraske..." Madara's eyes blazed with silent fury as he hovered over the bulky form of the Tsuchikage. "You didn't think I would find out about your ridiculous attempt to outsmart me?"

He backhanded the Kage, causing him to fall to the floor in an unmoving heap, "**I** have been alive longer than this village has been around!" Raising the fool to his knees, Toraske unleashed a terrified scream as he was consumed by the pain encompassing his body.

"Ma..Madara-Sama, please forgive me!" The Kage shivered as the pain stopped.

"Never do something so rash again young Kage," Madara turned his back to Toraske, "Or I'll lend your miserable existence.

Miles away the real Tsuchikage sat in a chair facing the man that would help him oust the insane Uchiha from his plan.

"So tell me again Toraske-Kun..." The man leaned back into the shadows, "What do you plan on doing to Konoha once it has fallen?"

"I plan on crumbling that weak village so that it's wastes may become the fields for my new empire..." His eyes blazed in fury, "I will crumble their pathetic Hokage mountain and desecrate the grave of the Yondaime!"

"How do you plan on accomplishing this when his son is right around the corner waiting for you?" The hidden man chuckled.

"His son?" Toraske's eyes flashed with fear for the briefest of moments, "To hell with his son. I will regain my father's honor by defeating this Namikaze!"

Yellow eyes appeared from the shadows, "Kukuku..." Kabuto's silver haired poked out from the darkness, his scaly face a sickish green. "This young man is not to be trifled with Toraske. He is an embodiment of nature! **He** defeated a sannin before his training was even complete." Kabuto nearly hissed as leaned even closer to the Tsuchikage. "Can you boast the same?"

"I am strong Kabuto." The Tsuchikage stood to his full height. His menacing shoulders and muscular arms made him look quite imposing. "Do not doubt my strength."

"But I do doubt them Toraske-Kun." The snake like man stood up as well, "Because you are not enough to bring down the Nine-tails Jinchuriki."

He paused for a moment to let his words sink in. "He has an endless chakra reserve, the speed of his father, and an elemental awareness that hasn't been seen in ages." Kabuto sunk back into the shadows. "Beware Toraske-Kun..."

* * *

Naruto appeared in the training field that he left apprentice in finding her laying in a heap on the ground. She always did this. Worked herself into unconsciousness. He saw a little of his old self in Ino. She was loud, brash, irrational, and impatient. He could relate to her in so many ways.

T flash of yellow. He laid her onto his bed and smiled at the way she groaned in her sleep. He laid out some clothes for her to change into as he went into the bathroom to turn on the faucet.

He stared as he water went down into the tub. So many memories. When he felt that the water was warm enough, he returned to Ino, shaking her awake.

"Get up Ino." He shook her softly, "Go shower, I laid some clothes out on the bed. You look like a hag!"

She was about to respond to his remark, but she was stopped as the door burst open.

"KITSUNE-Taichou!" An ANBU agent appeared in Naruto's apartment.

"Report."

"Itachi and Kisame of Akatsuki have been spotted at the West Gate!" The ANBU's posture screamed fear as he watched Naruto get situated into his uniform.

"Tsunade-Sama has sent me to inform you that she needs you to assess the situation. Lethal measures are allowed!"

"Hai. Dismissed." Naruto donned his fox mask and disappeared in his trademark flash.

He found himself at a peculiar scene. There stood Itachi and Kisame, surrounded by ANBU, yet no blood had been shed.

"Itachi Uchiha..." He stepped forward to meet the man face to face.

"Naruto-Kun." Itachi's face betrayed no emotion.

"How dare you step foot in this village you **traitor**!" Naruto's voice was dark and unstable as he put his hand to his blade. "**Have you come to die?**"

"I've come here to warn you..." Itachi stared into Naruto's red eyes with no fear. "There is a war looming over this village that it has no chance of surviving."

"You think I didn't already know that?" Naruto unsheathed his blade, but a second voice stopped him.

"I told you he wouldn't go with this Itachi." Kisame grinned as he stepped up to the nearest ANBU, making the agent look mean and frail, "To hell with this, let's just kill them all!"

"Stop Kisame..." Itachi stepped closer to the blonde Jinchuriki. "We have not come here to fight you Naruto-Kun. We are not here to take you. We came here to aid Konoha."

The blonde was silent as he took in this piece of information. "How can I trust what you say?"

"Because if you don't, then this village will fall." Itachi sighed, "And I do not want that."

"Fucking prick really doesn't!" Kisame laughed, "He actually cares for this place."

"Gama squad." The ANBU team surrounding them stood at attention, "Report to Hokage-Sama."

"Hai." A swirl of leaves indicated their retreat.

"What's going on Itachi?" Naruto backed up a bit. "What is Madara planning to do that has you so stirred up?"

"You know?"

"I know that Pein is merely a pawn." He sheathed his blade, "His ambitions are too farfetched for me to believe that he's a mastermind behind world domination."

"It's not so simple Naruto-Kun."

"Damn right it's not! Mans a fucking idiot!"

"Why have you really come?"

"To make amends." Itachi stared into Naruto's now misty eyes, "I do not wish to die with this burden on my back."

"And Sasuke?"

"I care for my brother, but I know that he is nothing like what he used to be." There was silence, "That is my own fault."

"I don't know how this is going to go with the council." Naruto calmed his frayed nerves, "They will call for your death. Maybe something worse."

"I know."

"I need your help with something Itachi." This peaked the Uchiha's interest. "I need you to recruit some people if we're going to have a chance at winning this war... And." There was silence once again, "We're going to need to destroy the council."

"Whoa kid!" Kisame jerked his legendary blade up. "I like your style."

* * *

Tsunade was stuck in her office with six ANBU operatives telling her the Naruto was alone with Itachi and Kisame. Two S-class criminals who happened to be from an organization bent on capturing the bijuu stuck in his belly.

"YOU WHAT!" The anger on her face was not pleasant as the operatives thought of fleeing the office.

"Kitsune-Taichou ordered us to report to you Hokage-Sama."

"YOU LEFT HIM WITH THOSE TWO MEN? ARE YOU INSANE?"

"Forgive us if we have angered you Hokage-Sama, but it was a direct order from Kitsune-Taichou."

There was a brief flash of yellow and said Commander was standing before his leader. "Tsunade." He looked at the ANBU around him, "I need to speak to you in private."

At that moment a Sakura burst into the office. "Tsunade-Sama!" Her eyes held fear in them, "Sasuke-Kun has gone after Itachi!"

Naruto cursed as he looked into his Hokage's eyes.

"What's going on Kitsune?" Tsunade looked confused, "Why were Kisame and Itachi within our walls?"

"Now isn't the time Tsunade-Sama!" He was about to leave when the Hokage yelled.

"NARUTO EXPLAIN WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

Sakura looked at the man in the Kitsune mask and gasped. It was her blonde teammate? "Naruto?" She looked desperate, "Naruto please! Please help Sasuke-Kun."

Unexplainable anger surged into the Jinchuriki as looked between both women, "**Just stop!**" His voice was thick with fury, "I will **explain** after this situation is taken care of _Tsunade_." The venom that dripped through his voice left no room for argument as Naruto disappeared from the room.

* * *

New Chapter ! Everyone who was waiting for this should be giving mad props out to KingKakashi for his crazyness in asking me to continue this. He's the one that got me to find just a bit of inspiration to continue.

Sorry it's short Kakashi, but it's what came out when i got on this computer hehe.

Also. Thank BowtechSniper for the awesome Beta beastiness.


	8. Up the Ante

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I'd be rich and more than likely would never do anything with my life other than blow my vast amounts of money. That is all..

A/N: Cool Cool! I got this finished up last night and our good buddy Bowtechsniper totally pwned the world by betaing this uber fast! So everyone thank Bowtech with a good ol' review!

Speaking of reviews, **DBTIGER63**, thanks so much! You reviews seriously made me pick up my laptop and write. There was another reviewer who nearly made me pull the trigger though,** InARealPickle**, you good sir are very correct in all your reviews, and even though you said you thought my story made no sense your probably going to read this new chapter because you secretly love it...

K that is all! Enjoy.

They say that when your life flashes before your eyes you come to an understanding. That didn't happen to Sasuke as he stared at the kunai pointed at his jugular. He couldn't fathom what the hell his life was even worth.

"You might as well kill me..." Sasuke stared at his brother with hate in his red eyes, "You _fucking_ coward!"

"Geeze Itachi..." Kisame sneered, "How is this kid even related to you?" The shark man smirked, "He can't even sneak up on us properly. What kind of shinobi does that?"

"Quiet Kisame." Itachi's eyes were indiscernible, "What do you want Sasuke?"

Sasuke's blood boiled as he stared at the man he had been working his whole life to kill. All his training was for nothing. Itachi was still leaps and bounds ahead of him.

"How?" He screamed, "**HOW ARE YOU SO STRONG**?" He unleashed a volley of punches that were blocked effortlessly.

Itachi swiftly threw a hard jab into his brother's stomach, dropping him to the ground as blood pooled in his mouth.

"I am a true Uchiha." Itachi's eyes were cold as he stared at the only person he cared for, "You still do not know what you fight for, while I hold my head up and stare down the very things I aim to destroy."

"You are _not_ an Uchiha! You traitor!" Sasuke's eyes pooled with tears as he gathered a Chidori in his hand, "You are nothing **Itachi!**"

Sasuke's arm was halted effortlessly by an extremely pissed Naruto. Sasuke stared at the hand that had gripped his fist and came face to face with the person he considered to be his only friend.

"Na... Naruto?" His eyes widened.

"Stop it Sasuke." His eyes were hard as he threw the fist in his hand to the side. "I don't know why you always charge in like a fucking maniac. Why are you so rash?" He turned his back to the younger Uchiha, "You know you have no chance of beating your brother."

Naruto craned his neck to the side, a single grey eye meeting the crimson of the Sharingan, "Get lost."

Sasuke's blood boiled at the slight against him. He was Sasuke Uchiha! The last noble Uchiha left in Konoha. He was a Jounin who was respected by a good number of his peers for his phenomenal performance on the battle field. For his ex-teammate to dismiss him...

"What did you say?" A foul chakra permeated the air as Sasuke let the curse seals chakra run through his veins once more. His three tomoe spinning in its infamous pinwheel.

Naruto didn't even glance at him as he addressed Itachi, "I'll handle this Itachi... Get back to what you were about to do."

Itachi and Kisame nodded and took off into the forests of Konoha disappearing into the foliage in a matter of seconds.

"Sasuke..." His voice was emotionless as he faced the boy he had hated for so long, "Stop."

Sasuke watched his brother's form disappear into the leaves of the forest and something in him snapped. That was the man who caused every bad thing in his life to occur. He was the reason that everyone pitied him, the last Uchiha. _He_ was the reason that Sasuke Uchiha felt like an insignificant being!

"You let him go?" The hate in his voice was latent, "_I'll fucking kill you_!" He disappeared in a blur as he smashed his forearm into Naruto's. They exchanged blows, each gauging the others' level as they increased the amount of power and speed. Naruto kicked into Sasuke's forearm, hearing the boy grunt in pain as he returned with a left jab. Naruto blocked the punch and used the Uchiha's momentum against him as he grabbed his extended wrist and yanked him.

Sasuke flipped and returned with a left kick that landed on Naruto's side causing him to grimace. The foul chakra suddenly exploded as Sasuke's skin transformed. Naruto had seen this before.

"Is that all you can do Sasuke?" His eyes were filled with disappointment, "Use power given to you by a dead snake?"

Sasuke spared no words as he charged at Naruto at an incredible speed. The Jinchuriki deflected the kunai with one of his own, spinning his left leg into a fierce kick that missed by a hair as the Uchiha used his other fist to land a blow into the Namikaze's side. Naruto held his ground as he grabbed the fist in his ribs and pulled the Uchiha's face into his knee.

An audible crack was heard as Sasuke screamed in anger. Taking a step back from Naruto, a sick grin appeared on the Uchiha's face as his skin began to become brown. An even more malevolent chakra appeared around his visage. Naruto's own blood boiled as the chakra interfered with his usually stoic demeanor. Kyuubi wanted in.

The ANBU Commander held his beast in as he threw a kunai at the Uchiha's chest. Racing after the speeding kunai, Naruto's left foot crashed into Sasuke as he attempted to dodge the razor sharp tool. His eyes bulged out as blood escaped his mouth for the second time that day. The transformed Jounin fell to his knees as he tried to grasp the air into his lungs.

"Stop being an idiot." Naruto's eyes were changing drastically as the anger he was desperately trying to keep at bay was escaping.

"You let _him_ go!" The Uchiha's eyes were almost demonic, "I thought you were my friend! How could you do this to me?"

The ever familiar sound of an active Chidori filled the blonde's ears as his own damn burst.

Sasuke was only feet away when a massive red hand slammed into the ground. The pain was unreal as he screamed and clawed at the chakra that was tearing at his skin. It stopped as another weight crashed into his chest. He stared into the blood red eyes of Naruto.

"**Friend**?" Sasuke felt fear, "**Friend? You are NOT my friend Uchiha. You lost that fucking privilege when you took the only thing I **_**loved**_**!**"

Naruto got off the Jounin's chest as he grabbed hold of the downed nins wrist. Sasuke felt a small pull and in an instant, found himself on the familiar floor of the long gone.

* * *

The feeling in the pit of Gaara's stomach wasn't boding well with him as he quickened the pace to his village. The news that Naruto had given him wasn't good. The bijuu were not forces to be messed with. They were radical, uncontrollable, and had near infinite power levels. Even though he used to have one sealed within himself, he was still only human. These beasts could never die.

Said blonde found himself face to face with the Hokage. "As I was trying to explain before I was interrupted..." He glared at the door, "I need you to pardon Uchiha Itachi of all previous transgressions concerning him and the village."

"What!" Tsunade's eyes were immense as she stared down the Jinchuriki, "How could I possibly do that? Everyone in Konoha knows what he did and they will surely not forgive him."

The doors to the office opened again as a man stepped in.

"I can shed light on this matter..."

"Danzo?" Tsunade looked shocked.

"Don't act like a fool Tsunade, you know as well as I that the knowledge of this war isn't limited to just you and this boy!" He stepped further into the room, his root agents flanking him every step of the way. "I have useful information concerning one Uchiha Itachi."

Naruto stared at the bandaged man, unsure of what he was after. He didn't know much about Danzo, other than that the man was part of the council and ran an organization called ROOT. Everything else was shady when it came to him. No one spoke of him or his past.

"Sarutobi, his partners, and I had gone to Uchiha Itachi when we were faced with a very dire danger." He sighed, "The Uchiha were planning a Coup De'etat against the Hokage and council, and measures were taken so they would never receive the chance that they were waiting for."

"We ordered Itachi to assassinate his family..." He tossed a very small file to Tsunade, "In this file lies the only proof that was kept alive." Danzo looked at Naruto, "Uzumaki, I need to speak to you in private and Tsunade... Do what you wish with that file."

He motioned for Naruto to follow him, the two left the room in haste as Tsunade stared at the file on her desk.

Danzo stared at the boy before him. He knew he was quite powerful, but everything about this boy was blacked out. He knew nothing of his skills.

"Uzumaki, it has come to my attention that you know more than you should." He gripped his cane tightly, "I know that you have taken over Jiraiya's spy network, but what I don't understand is why you're not doing more to help this village in its time of need."

"Not helping this village?" Naruto stared at the man in his only eye, "I am doing all that I can for this damn village! You wouldn't know a thing about Iwa if it wasn't for me!"

"Don't play dumb with me." Danzo kept a cool gaze on the Jinchuriki, "What do you know of Madara? The Bijuu?"

Naruto recoiled as Danzo began to speak of the very things he had barely been informed of.

"I see..." He turned his back to the Jinchuriki, "So you know nothing of Madara?... Well that is all Uzumaki. Goodbye."

"Wait!" Naruto watched the man vanish into thin air.

How did he know about Madara? What did he know about Madara? Danzo... Was a mystery factor.

_Two days later_

Naruto helped Ino to her apartment. "You did great today Ino." He turned to leave as he reached her door.

"Naruto..."

The blonde stopped as he faced her, "Yeah?"

"Thanks." She smiled as he grinned, "For everything. I really appreciate you doing all this for me."

"I'm not doing this for you Ino..." He sighed, "I haven't told you everything, but before you ask questions, know that I'm going to tell you soon."

He was gone before she could reply, finding himself in the ANBU headquarters heading to his squads break room.

"Guys..." The room burst into action as his team raced to get suited up.

"Don't put your gear on! Look, I only came here to talk to you!" His team halted at the command, "Geeze you guys are always so hyper..."

Saru gave the blonde a hug as she approached him, "So what brings you by captain?"

"Hehe sorry I haven't been around lately guys, it's just been really hectic training for the upcoming war." He sighed, "I know I'm letting you guys down. I haven't been able to lead you guys since Iwa, but I need your help with something."

Tora jumped up from her seat, "Don't worry about it captain! We know you're a pretty busy guy. So what's the new mission?"

"I need the team to get information on Danzo."

"That old dude on the council?" Shirogi looked interested, "Why would you want to know about him?"

"He knows a lot more than he should, and that really worries me." Naruto went to a couch and laid back, "I don't know much about the guy so the mission parameters are going to be really vague. Don't be spotted. If you come under suspicion abort the damn mission. Report all your findings to Saru. She'll report directly to me."

"Roger that captain!"

Naruto smiled at his wayward team. At times he missed being that hell bent ANBU just trying to one up the old captains records. It was so simple then. "Cool. Now... Who's up for some ping pong?"

* * *

Blood spilled on the border of Suna as three men made short work of an outlying outpost. The bodies of men were lying butchered as a man giggled above his latest kill.

"Heheheheheh these little ants aren't worth a damn." He raised his foot and caved the dead man's head in.

"Kitobu..." A man garbed in a black cloak sighed, "Control yourself, there is still one room left to infiltrate."

The man known as Kitobu burst into uncontrollable laughter as he raised a bulky arm to the steel door protecting their goal. "Oh Senta take it easy on the buzz kill! I'm only having some fun."

"Yeah Senta let the freak have his fun." Another man approached the blood stained room. His form was lithe. He adorned a black cloak as well. The outlines of a scythe were obvious as he stepped out of the shadows. His eyes were blood red and the grin on his face was the telltale sign of joy.

"Kiraba.. I'll kill you the next time you call me a freak." Kitobu pulled out a steel bo staff from his very forearm.

"Shut up freak." Kiraba walked past the unstable man and to the steel doors. He placed his palm on the steel and watched in glee and it gave way to an unseen force and flew into the next room.

Inside the room a group of Suna Shinobi stood guard around a small orb on a pedestal. "Hold your ground men! We have to protect the orb!" The captain charged with a Katana in hand. Reaching Kiraba and preparing to separate his head from his neck, the captain's eyes bulged out as he witnessed his katana falling.

The men guarding the orb watched in horror as their captains arm was detached from his torso. Blood stained the walls as the captain turned back to his men gripping the stub of what was once his arm. They watched as Kiraba grabbed the man's head and ripped his spine from his body.

Kitobu rushed in with a smile from ear to ear, using his bo to bash in the head of his nearest enemy. One came from his back in an attempt to help his partner, but it was useless as said bo became as sharp as a sword and cut open the man's windpipe.

Senta appeared in the room suddenly. Grabbing the nearest enemy and unleashing a fiery torrent of flames upon his face. The Suna Shinobi screamed in pain as his eyes burst from the heat. He tried to release Senta's hold on him, but as the fire consumed his very skull, his arms went lax.

Senta turned to his next victim, unleashing a volley of wind blades that separated numerous limbs from two Suna Shinobi. He heard the maniacal laughter of Kitobu and sighed as he watched his insane teammate rip off a man's arm with his bare hands.

The three men stopped the slaughter as they noticed that only one enemy remained. They began to chuckle as the man crawled further back into a corner. They approached the trembling shinobi and Kitobu grabbed the man by his neck and lifted him two feet off the ground.

"Listen up you Suna scum..." He cackled, "I want you to go back and tell your sad pathetic Kage that this is just the beginning!"

* * *

Sasuke woke up in a daze. His brain was throbbing against his skull and he just wanted to put himself out of his misery. He opened his eyes and came face to face with his wife. She looked scared beyond belief.

"Sakura?" He lifted a hand to shade his eyes.

"Sasuke-Kun!" She grabbed hold of his body and embraced him in a hug, "I thought you would never wake up! What did Naruto do to you?"

It all came back in that instant. Itachi being freed, fighting Naruto, being defeated. He clenched his hand into a fist and grinded his teeth. "That fucking bastard! I'll kill him!"

"Sasuke-Kun! Calm down! Tell me what happened?" Sakura looked worried.

"He let Itachi go!" His anger was getting the better of him, "He let that bastard go! I'll kill him too!"

"If you haven't noticed pal, you're lying in that bed because I kicked your ass." The two came face to face with said blonde. "Look I could care less about what you think of me because I'm not going to save face with either of your sorry asses. I just came here to tell you that Tsunade has something important to tell you before she announces it to the damn world, and before you can even think about asking why I'm telling you..."

Naruto leaned against the door frame, "It's because Tsunade ordered me too, in order to make amends for kicking your ass."

"Why did you do this to Sasuke-Kun?" Sakura stood from her seat and made her way to her ex-teammate.

"Do you know how annoying your voice is?" Naruto rubbed his ears, "_Why blah blah blah Sasuke-Kun this and blah blah blah Sasuke-Kun that._ God fix that fucking voice of yours it's like a damn cat is dying in your throat while it's being raped!"

Sakura looked dumbfounded as she tried to formulate a response, but Naruto beat her to the punch.

"Fuck, I don't know why I ever dated you in the first place! You're not even that pretty." He chuckled as he walked out of the room, leaving two very shocked people.

"Naruto-Kun! Wait!" Sasuke watched his wife leave the room in a hurry to catch up, but he knew the blonde was already gone.

His wife walked back in with a sad look on her face. She looked her husband in the eyes and began to tremble.

"Oh come the fuck on Sakura! You're always fucking crying! You don't even know what you're crying about..." He sat up in bed and groaned in pain as he stood up, he was curious as hell about what the Hokage had to say. "Meet up with me at the Hokage's office in half an hour." He was gone in a swirl of leaves, leaving Sakura to her own thoughts.

* * *

Ino was waiting for her sensei to arrive, he was already fifteen minutes late, which never happened... Her worries were eased as he appeared in his usual spot in a flash of yellow. She always admired the way he made his appearances, he looked hot as hell the way he just walked in like a bad ass. She had this very conversation with a number of acquaintances that knew Naruto.

She couldn't deny the way her body would flutter when he would help her to her bed or to the shower. She had uncontrollable urges to touch him sometimes. It often random and he gave her weird looks, but she couldn't help it. Whenever he stared her in the eyes her breath would hitch and she would become enthralled with the intensity of the gaze.

She knew nothing of his love life. She didn't know whether he had a girlfriend or a lover. He was a wild card that might be up for play, and she was determined to see where it would all go.

"Hello there! Earth to Ino!" She fell on her ass as he gave her a small push, "Wake up from whatever perverted day dream you are having about me!"

"Oi! Shut the hell up, you're not even good looking!" She held her blush at bay as he gawked at her.

"Did you just say I'm not good looking!" He put on a false angry face, "Look at that mountain over there! You see that face! That's me! Yeah I'm so good looking that they put my face on a mountain!"

"... That's your father."

"I look exactly like that though so ha!"

He had a point and she knew it. "Well whatever I don't find you attractive anyways!"

He reappeared behind her, grabbing hold of her waist as he pulled her back into his chest. She froze at the contact and nearly groaned as he pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Naruto's finger traced her ear all the way down to her lower neck and he watched in fascination as goose bumps sprouted out along her exposed skin. He let her go as he heard a slight groan escape her lips.

"Well well well!" He laughed as he stepped away from the now angry Yamanaka, "It seems that someone does indeed enjoy foreplay."

Ino stared him in the eyes with a lustful haze in her own. She got closer to him and pulled his arm bringing him into her own body. She leaned her lips up to his neck and brushed them up until she had reached his chin. She sighed and in the most needing voice she could muster moaned his name, "_Naruto-Kun_."

She felt his body go rigid as goosebumps appeared on his exposed skin. Ino laughed as she pushed him away from her, but the look he gave her made her body tingle.

He grabbed her head and leaned her back as he brought his lips to her neck. _"Ino-Chan... I want to make you _mine..." She was anticipating the kiss, but it never came.

Naruto stood there grinning like a mad man, "Don't mess with the master sunshine!"

The brutal onslaught that occurred next was of course halted when Naruto pinned Ino down and began to get serious, "Ino..."

She stared into his eyes their usually calm demeanor was not filled with worry but something else….

"Listen up because I have some very very important things to tell you." He sighed as he began the tale of his training travels, the news that he had acquired along the way, and what was upcoming. "But there's something I need to tell you that no one else knows..."

"What is it?"

"It's about my eyes..."

She was captivated by said eyes as they began to change colors and swirl.

"They are a doujutsu from my mother's clan." Naruto smiled softly, "They're beautiful, but I don't know a thing about them. My grandfather also had this very same doujutsu but never shed any light on what they did..." He sighed, "I'm sure that he knew a lot about what they do, but he was always so tight lipped when it came to what they were."

He looked into her eyes, "I've shown you the only thing I know how to do with these eyes. A perception of my thoughts in a physical form." The blonde Jinchuriki motioned for Ino to speak.

"Isn't there a scroll or something about them?" She watched her sensei look to the ground.

"No. The village that my mother's clan originated from was destroyed many years ago during an invasion, and to be completely honest there is no trace of what was once Whirlpool."

"An entire village just erased from existence?" Ino looked skeptical, "That sounds a tad bit unreal."

"I thought so too, but there really isn't any trace of Whirlpool." Naruto stood up, "Alright now let's get back to training you slacker."

Coolio... How was it? Leave some feedback because i need to know what everyone thinks should be improved!

**KingKakashi, **Dude your still awesome in my book. Thanks a ton for making me take up this story after a year!


	9. They Say Desert Flowers Always Bloom

_A/N:__** Alright guys, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Everyone give made props to Bowtech Sniper on his amazing job on the BETA. (Sorry dude I added like one or two more paragraphs without letting you see them ahaha).**_

_**Anyways, if you haven't skipped this yet... I need to warn you that this is some serious ish! There is some very very adult content in this chapter! You've been warned.**_

* * *

Temari stood at the apartment door, unsure how she was going to go about this. She had a million plans, but not a single one seemed acceptable in her mind. Namikaze Naruto was an anomaly. She knew it. Her brother knew it. Everyone knew it. How do you go about telling an oddball that you want something more than friendship?

This was the boy who single handedly defeated her brother at the age of twelve. If that wasn't enough, he had saved her life on a number of occasions even though she barely knew him.

He threw himself into danger, looking death in the eyes just to get her out of harms way. Who does that for a stranger? On top of that, this was the young man who pursued **two** S-Class ninja just to get her brother back.

When Gaara was taken from Suna every ninja knew that there was no way they could rescue him, but a boy of fifteen years old had gone and done what they could not.

That wasn't the end of this man's legacy. She had heard that he killed an immortal. Kakuzu if she remembered correctly. An S-Rank ninja who was in league with Akatsuki. He was the very man who killed the Shodaime Hokage. Naruto, a genin at the time, ended his life with a single justu.

This was Namikaze Naruto. An anomaly. A shinobi so great, that he could do what seemed impossible at the age of fifteen. A young man who was so kind hearted that he would do anything to make you smile.

How? How do you tell someone so amazing that you want to be theirs?

The door that she was so captivated by suddenly opened and a confused blonde stood there watching her. "You know..." He smiled, "You've been standing there for over twenty minutes."

She blushed as she tried to formulate words, "Eh.. Uh... You see I just..."

"Hey now don't sweat it." She watched him scratch the back of his head in his usual demeanor, "I usually don't get visits in the middle of the night anyways." He stepped back into his room, "Come on in."

She smiled and did as she was asked, taking in the fairly large apartment. It was Spartan. There was a sofa, a kitchen that seemed somewhat bare, and only had three doors.

"It's nothing extravagant, but I don't use much..." His eyes shone with humor. "So what brings you by Temari-Chan?"

"I just came by to talk to you." She gave him a small smile and let him lead her to the sofa. "It's been so long since I've spoken to you... Ever since you saved my brother I've been trying to get a hold of you, but..."

"Yeah I know..." He sighed, "But I couldn't stay here." His grey eyes met hers and she placed a hand on his.

"You didn't deserve that Naruto." Her eyes steeled over and she placed a hand on his cheek. "You are an amazing person. You're so strong and honest, you're loving and so determined to help others. How anyone could leave someone as handsome as you..."

Naruto's cheeks were heating up from the embarrassment. He was not used to any form of praise, let alone from women. Color swirled in his grey eyes in a myriad of emotions. Greens, yellows, and oranges all danced as he smiled.

Temari was captivated by the way his eyes danced in a beautiful array of color. She was so amazed by the sheer emotion in them that her breath left her in a tremble. "Your eyes..."

Naruto looked away, ashamed. "Oh... Sorry about that."

"What are you sorry for?" She turned his head to look at her, "They're beautiful."

"You don't know what they mean..." His eyes returned to their grey form as Naruto frowned, "These eyes are nothing but pain, that's all they'll ever be."

"No..." Temari ran her hand down his cheek, "They're a part of you, and you should not be ashamed of what they stand for."

"Hehe enough of this mushy stuff Temari! How have you been? How are you and Shikamaru?" He moved her hand from his cheek, the lack of warmth bringing down his emotional high.

"I've been doing pretty good. Been going to a lot of delegations for some of our ally countries and finding ways to keep them all united, as for that lazy bastard, we broke up." Their eyes met again and they broke contact.

"Oh..." Naruto really didn't know how to reply to that. "Um I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry about it." She giggled as he blew out a relieved breath. "How about you? How are things going?"

"Well, I've just been keeping up with my duties hehe. You know kicking ass and taking names and all that other crap!" He looked lost for a second, and Temari caught it.

"Is something wrong?"

"... I don't know." He looked at her with grief in his eyes. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in over my head. I dedicate my entire being into being a ninja Temari-Chan, but I think I'm losing myself." He was about to say something when he was stopped by a pair of soft lips on his.

He was shocked for a second, but responded with a powerful kiss. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and her hands enter his hair. He pulled her closer to his body and intensified the kiss, so drawn in by the want she was eluding. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and a war began. He fell back onto the arm rest of the couch and she straddled his waist as she dominating the kiss.

He felt her pulling his hair and moaned into her mouth. His hands wandered down her body, coming to her ass and resting there. After a few seconds he began to grope it as his body became more aroused. She moaned into his mouth as the pressure built up in her body.

She left his lips and traveled down his chin to his neck. Taking his tan skin into her mouth as she began to kiss him roughly. He groaned as he pushed her head back and found her lips again. He sat up and picked up the Suna Kunoichi taking her down the living room and into his bedroom. He placed her onto his bed and his lips found her neckline.

His lips traveled lower as he pulled her shirts neckline and captured her succulent skin in his mouth. She moaned and grabbed his hard on through his pants. She began to unbutton the stubborn clothing as Naruto's lips found her breasts. She hissed in pleasure as she finally got his pants undone. She felt a hand snake its way down her own shorts and undo the single button.

His eyes opened and took in his actions. Temari was flushed and breathing heavily as she slid her shorts off. Her black thong hugging her legs nicely. He looked unsure, but she sat up and pulled him onto the bed, taking off his pants and shirt in haste. He did the same to her. Her lingerie was quite fitting on her body as he couldn't take his eyes off her beautiful form.

Temari took in his chiseled abs and large arms and grinned in excitement. He was truly a Shinobi. She pulled off his remaining underwear and took in the image of his penis. It was quite the image...

He wasted no time in ridding the woman of her lingerie and taking her light pink nipple into his lips. She groaned and stroked his dick asking for more. He complied and kissed her down her navel until he reached her cleanly shaven vagina. It was light color, a perfect hue of pink that attracted his lips to them. He stuck his tongue in, tasting her fluids and enjoying the sound of her moaning. He moved his lips to her delicate clitoris and laid his tongue on it.

He gently swirled his tongue in mismatching patterns. Applying small amounts of suction at odd intervals and increasing his pace. He slowed the process down, making her body ache for more. He looked up her body. Taking in the way her nipples stood at attention and her eyes hungered for release.

He got back to work. Flicking his tongue up and down excruciating slow, using the flat part of his tongue making his taste buds glide over the nub. She pulled his hair and pushed his head down. "Oh Naruto!" He continued to run his tongue up and down, until he applied suction and began swirling his tongue again. He was finding it harder and harder to breathe as she was pushing and grinding her pussy into his face, making her pelvic region block his nose.

He almost laughed when he had to take his mouth off to breathe. Temari took this moment as an opportunity to switch roles. Her legs snaked around Naruto's neck and she pulled him up and turned him onto his back. She laid kisses down his firm body until she reached his erection. She licked the head slowly. Moving her head further down and trailing her tongue down his length. She reached his ball sack and took one into her mouth making his jump slightly. She met his eyes and the want in them made her juices flow slowly down her leg.

She licked up his length and made it to the head. Wrapping her tongue around the groove, she finally put her mouth around it. Applying suction and moving her head further down. She felt him reach the back of her throat and almost chocked as she saw she was only half way down his erection. She went up and went further down, feeling his appendage sink into her throat. He gave a low guttural moan and she continued the motion.

His muscles tensed as she increased the speed of her bobbing. She couldn't fit the entire thing down her throat, but she felt him lay a hand on the back of her head making her go further down, almost making her throw up, but she kept it down. She felt him push her back onto the bed. Her legs were brought into the air as he leveled his dick to her pussy.

He entered slowly, hitting every inch of her walls as he filled her up. "Oh my god!" She moaned in ecstasy as he continues to move in and out of her.

He increased the speed of his thrusts, the force behind them rising in power with every second. After a minute, the movement was almost ridiculous as her screams echoed around the bedroom. Naruto groaned as he hit the back of her walls. His eyes taking in the gorgeous mounds as they bounced at his will. He felt her hands on his chest as she gave a mighty push that sent him into his bed post. She straddled his waist, her wet thighs sticky with her cum. She slid down his shaft and groaned in pleasure.

Temari placed her hands on his shoulders and began to ride the ANBU commander, taking him as deep as she could. "Oh Naruto it feels amazing."

He couldn't take it. She was so tight and hot and the pressure was driving him insane. He grabbed her hips and began to rock her back and forth, causing her to increase the speed of her thrusts and scream out incoherently. Naruto took one of her breasts into his mouth and gave the nub his tongue. She pulled his hair and called out to him to continue as she guided herself closer and closer to an orgasm. The feeling of his head grinding against her inflated G-Spot was driving her insane as she almost teetered over the edge, her vision blurry with pleasure. She leaned into his shoulder and bit down as she continued her rocking motions. Naruto was so engrossed in the pleasure that he didn't feel the bite nor acknowledge that it would leave a mark. He felt her walls tighten, "NARUTO!" It was almost unbearable, "Cum with me! Oh god!" He complied, shooting into her as his nails dug into her back. His body tensed as hers did, her nails clawing into his skin, causing him to arch his back and make his head go deeper. She leaned back, her back at an almost uncomfortable angle as their bodies finally fell.

"Wow..." His blue eyes met her and he smiled. He couldn't speak another word as darkness consumed him.

* * *

Kabuto held up his victim by the throat, the blood slipping down his arm at a slow trickle. He watched the light fade out of his latest experiment in sick glee. He was determined to win this war. He would go through anyone just to insure that Orochimaru-Sama's plans went through without hitch. That fool of a Tuschikage and Madara Uchiha were merely stepping stones to what he wanted to accomplish.

Madara wanted Konoha destroyed like a petty fool. Konoha was extremely strong, he was sure that even with the combined efforts of two hidden villages, Konoha would prevail without taking much damage. And the Namikaze... He was a problem. He was an uncharted ace that Konoha could pull at any moment. He wasn't sure if they controlled the young man or if he was a wild card. Either way, he was a danger to his plans among other things.

Orochimaru had always wanted to raise a village to be prosperous, but he was so held in by anger and jealousy that Otogakure failed. Raising a village out of men who only wished to plunder and kill was foolish and he had stated such to Kabuto before his passing.

Uchiha Sasuke... Another fool. He would never kill his brother. Orochimaru made the young ninja strong. Extremely powerful yes, but still Itachi was something else entirely. Raised in a time of war and death, the boy shot through the ranks because he was just that skilled. This piece of trash Sasuke could never hope to stand toe to toe against Orochimaru let alone Itachi Uchiha.

Kabuto would avenge Orochimaru's death by killing the Namikaze. That fool was lucky to escape with his life after pulling that stunt in rice country. It wasn't documented that the blonde had broken in and destroyed the entire hide out. It wasn't documented that he had unleashed an unknown power into the halls that imploded upon running its course.

Kabuto could not help his master as the blonde fought him. He was preoccupied with trying to save the experiments at Orochimaru's request. He could feel their foul chakra reverberating through the collapsed tunnels, and it was frightening. Orochimaru was not normal, the man had done so many things to his body that he knew that he was no longer human, but that boy...

Naruto unleashed his inner demon as a chakra so foul came about that it usurped Orochimaru's chakra signature. Kabuto came about the scene of the foolish blonde, sword deep in his master's chest, his eyes locked on the Jinchuriki in horror. Kabuto wanted to rush out and help, but the blonde nin had pulled his katana out so fast and utterly destroyed his master by taking off his head. Orochimaru's head stared at him in shock as blood fell from his mouth.

Kabuto met the jinchuriki's eyes as he smiled. "You're next..." His eyes were dark, consumed by black as he picked up his master's head and disappeared as if he was never there.

It was difficult to comprehend that a Sannin of Orochimaru's caliber was defeated so soundly. He had taken his masters body and by manipulation of his body's cells, he eventually took the form that Orochimaru had once occupied. He could morph his body into that of snakes at whim, his eyes now resembled those of his master. A sickly yellow, his skin tone a pale white, and his hair was always matted to his head as if greased by some unknown substance.

He smirked as the man in his arms died. He had failed yet another experiment. He wanted to create a blood type that would allow regeneration as his body did, but so far there was no luck. He couldn't crack his own DNA to allow it to be transferred to another body. That was one thing he did not wish to part with.

Kabuto dropped the body, uncaring of the stains the blood would leave as he continued on his way to the laboratory.

* * *

Two months passed as Ino finally completed the training under Naruto. He had deemed her ready to progress by herself. He could not teach her everything he knew as some of the things he could accomplish were allowed due to his bloodline and his body's resistance to damage. She was powerful now. She could take on Kakashi in battle, come out losing, but survive long enough to deal the man damage.

She may not be on his level, but she was a hell of a lot stronger than the other Kunoichi. Kurenai stood no chance against her as she was pummeled by her. Even Kiba couldn't beat her in a fight. Naruto had pushed her to a new level, and she was proud of her efforts.

In the two months, she had been informed of the many operations she would be leading in the skirmishes that had already begun on the borders of Iwa. Tsunade had gotten tired of waiting for her lands to be attacked and decided that she would not accept that and had declared open war with Iwa and any other nation that wanted to assist them. This open declaration was met with shock by many, and some lands that had once supported Iwa sunk into their own fear and withdrew from their aid.

Ino was chosen to lead her own squad of six, consisting of some of her close friends as well as people she had never met. Their skills were drawn out before her in their files.

_Tekuno Kanden_

_Rank: Jounin_

_Specialty: Tekuno's abilities lie in his use of wires and explosive tags to make devastating traps as well as ambush areas in which he can manipulate his wires into capturing as well as killing multiple enemies._

_Namiashi Raidou_

_Rank: Jounin_

_Specialty: Raidou is a well-rounded Shinobi, often referred to as a generalist. His overall skills are above average for a Jounin. He does not specialize in one field, instead he is a Jounin who uses all three fields. A low A rank Jounin whose abilities in Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu are all above B._

_Shiranui Genma_

_Rank: Jounin_

_Specialty: Genma specialized in weapons such as Senbon, Kunai, and Fuuma Shuriken. His accuracy is beyond that of a normal Jounin. His use of the Lightning element is often incorporated into his weapons. He holds a very strong affinity towards lightning, and most of his jutsu's are lightning related. _

_Hyuuga Neji_

Ino skipped his file as well as the other two, she knew these peoples abilities by heart. So her team consisted of six well rounded Jounin. Neji, Lee, Genma, Raidou, Tekuno, and Choji. To her it was perfect, they all covered each other's weakness and provided a good base to begin formulating team maneuvers.

Her thoughts wandered to her blonde sensei. He had been acting odd lately, as if he was hiding something from her, and that was not like him at all. Naruto was usually very open with Ino, but there was something going on.

She would follow him sometimes, but would lose him as if he knew she was following him. Which considering who it was, was very possible. She gathered all her belongings and traveled to said blonde's apartment. She raised her hand to the door to knock, but laughter kept her from making a noise. It was a woman.

She was never sure if Naruto was ever in a serious relationship after Sakura, as he had been gone for three years, but the sounds behind the door were leading her to believe he was seeing someone. Her stomach dropped and she felt her hands clench into fists. Her breath trembled out of her throat as a tear threatened to spill from her eye.

She had feelings for the bastard, and she was so sure that he held the same ones for her. The way he held her after training. Confided in her and her to him. She put every effort into her training because she wanted to impress him. She cared more about his opinion than her own fathers. A surge of hurt flowed through her veins as she let the tears spill from her eyes. Her breath hitched as she tried to breathe, but it hurt so much.

Her heart stung, a dull throbbing enveloping her body as her body leaned against the metal railing. The door in front of her opened suddenly, a shocked blonde eying her up and down searching for an injury. "Ino? Are you okay?" He went to hold her, but she flinched away.

"I-I'm fine, I just had something in my eye." The raw emotion in her voice told him differently as he went to embrace her in his strong hold. She put her hand to his chest, stopping him before he could place his arms around her. "I'm fine! Really I'm okay!" She nearly stumbled back as another figure came to the door.

There stood Sabaku Temari, clad in her black attire and looking utterly happy. It shocked Ino that this was the girl who had taken Naruto from her. She wasn't even from the same village. Sure she was gorgeous and strong, but she was way more beautiful and stronger than that... that whore! She wanted to strangle the girl as their eyes met. Naruto backed up from his raging student.

"Ino..." He had been saying her name for about ten seconds, but she looked so lost in thought. "**Ino**." His voice was powerful as he drew her attention. "It's not polite to stare. Tell Temari-Chan hi."

She complied with her master, letting out a greeting in the most cheerful tone she could muster. "Hey there Temari! Uh sorry about phasing out like that, I was just lost in thought."

"Oh it's no problem!" The Suna Kunoichi smiled radiantly, "Me and Naruto-Kun were just about to have dinner, your welcome to join us."

Ino looked at said blonde and waited for him to nod in affirmation, he did. She had invited her to dinner at Naruto's place, the fact that it wasn't the other way around told her all she needed to know about their relationship.

"Sure!" She put on a smile and walked into the apartment, noticing that it was no longer bare. It now housed numerous pictures of Naruto with his friends, some with Gaara, and even two with Temari, they looked fairly recent. He had a smile the size of the moon planted on his face. The sofa was different, a deep brown, the carpet a mocha color, and the walls were painted maroon. All in all, it was an improvement that she knew Naruto would never make alone.

She eyed the kitchen and found a large bowl to occupy the counter. Its contents became apparent as she found pasta in said bowl. "Naruto cooked today, which is a surprise since I've been cooking the past two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Ino looked confused.

"Oh yeah, Naruto-Kun is allowing me to stay with him instead of me finding a hotel to occupy during my diplomatic ordeals with your council." She lifted the bowl from the counter and took it to the rather large table that she had missed on her way in. There were only six chairs, but for Naruto, he usually only had one...

"Well.." She planted a smile on her face, "That's nice of him."

"So what brings you by Ino?" Naruto's voice took her attention from the Suna Kunoichi and onto his colorful eyes. They weren't their usual grey, instead she found traces of numerous colors in them, and the happiness they emitted took her by surprise. Naruto's eyes often gave away whatever emotions he was feeling, ever since he had unlocked the bloodline it was more so than usual. The blues and greens signified his happiness and made Ino realize that he was actually happy.

She sat herself down at the dinner table and allowed Temari to serve her. Naruto sat on the other side of the table, Temari soon taking the chair to his left.

"So Naruto told me that he oversaw your training for the past few months?"

"Yeah, he really put me through hell." She laughed at the memories. "He would have to drag me into his own bed just to get me out of that training field!" She laughed hysterically for a moment as Temari raised an eyebrow and Naruto coughed.

"Yeah I had to bring her here because she would always pass out in the training fields." He looked nervous for a second.

"And this one time! Oh man I remember it like it was yesterday! He had to bring me here and practically undress me to get me to shower!" She giggled.

Temari looked irked for a moment before a smile graced her lips, "Is that so?"

"Oh god..." Naruto nearly face palmed himself as he looked at Ino, "I told you to go into the restroom, but you refused remember! You were all like '_Naruto please help me undress_' remember?"

Ino turned red with embarrassment, "You liar!"

"Oh yeah, and if I remember correctly, you were always checking me out when I got out of the shower!" He laughed at the way she blushed.

"Get over yourself jerk."

"Well you two seem to have gotten a good look at each other." Temari had a smile on her face, but the way she looked at Ino caused said blonde to feel challenged. Was Temari really challenging her to this?

"Oh yeah, Naruto is a really big boy isn't he!"

Naruto's pasta escaped his mouth as he choked. "Ino!"

"Definitely! He can make a woman feel right at home!" Temari took hold of his hand as she grinned, "And scream like crazy."

Ino looked horrified for a second, then the tender blush crawled up her neck and onto her face. "I know exactly what you mean!"

"Wait what?" Naruto looked at his apprentice horrified for a moment as Temari gave him the evil eye. "We've never had sex!"

"Wait you've had sex with her?" Ino's mouth opened in shock, "I was talking about making me scream when we spar you sicko!"

"Oh." Naruto's blush rose as he tried to laugh the incident off.

"Yeah Naruto is really good at what he does." Temari smiled at Ino, winking, "If you know what I mean."

The Jinchuriki coughed out more pasta as he tried to bring the tension in the room down. These women would be the death of him.

"So Ino... What brings you to my humble home?" He looked at her, awaiting an answer.

"Naruto?" Ino looked at him seriously.

"Yes?"

"Why haven't we had sex before?" The blonde fell from his seat in shock, "I mean, I'm beautiful and we're really close... So why haven't we had sex?"

Temari nearly choked on her pasta as she awaited an answer from the blonde on the floor.

"Uh Ino are you seriously asking me that?" He was redder than a tomato as he tried to stand.

"Yes I'm serious!" She looked him dead in the eye, "You've seen me almost naked a million times, and I've walked in on you changing! I mean the sexual tension was there, so why not?"

"Uh-I-Ino I.. I ho-honestly don't know how to respond to that..." His eye was twitching humorously, "I mean you never really asked!"

"Is that all it takes?" Ino looked at him expectantly, "Did Temari just ask you?"

Temari used this moment to enter the conversation again, "Uh... Something like that." She giggled when Naruto eyed her in horror.

"Hey! You didn't even ask! It was the heat of the moment Temari-Chan!" He realized that he blurted that out loud. Ino looked shocked and took a few bites of the pasta.

"Anyways, the reason I came was to tell you I was given a squad to lead on the Iwa front line."

This piqued the blonde's interest as he brought himself to the table, "Really? Wow I'm proud of you Ino-Chan!" He smiled, "Being chosen as a leader is quite the achievement."

"Yeah, Hokage-Sama gave me my first patrol in a week's time." She eyed her sensei, "I have a week to get my team coordinated and ready to work on surviving."

"Well I have faith in you Ino!" He grinned at her, "I trained you myself, so I have no doubt you'll lead your team into some great battles."

"What about you?" She looked at him expectantly, "What does Hokage-Sama have you doing?"

"I'm actually going to lead the first strike against Iwa in two days..." He looked at her with a sad smile, "The council wants me to infiltrate the village with a small squad..." He sighed, "It's practically suicide, but it needs to be done."

Her mouth opened in shock, "Wait... What? They can't do that! That's sui-"

"Don't worry about it Ino-Chan! I got this." He sent her his shit eating grin, "Besides the squad consists of my ANBU squad and some other people that I chose myself."

* * *

In Iwa, the Tsuchikage was preparing his men for the upcoming war. He was ready for anything! Nothing short of three Yondaime Hokage's could stop him as he gave his men a pep talk. In a week's time they would leave to attack their enemy. With the assistance of numerous bordering villages, he would take down the walls of Konoha the Mist moves into Suna's path to block them from their ally.

He was confident in his plan, as Madara had already handed him three Bijuu to unleash upon the fire nation. He smirked as he looked down at his men, "In one week's time... **WE WILL AVENGE THIS NATION AND BRING KONOHA TO ITS KNEES!**" His army burst into shouts of joy as he raised his fist into the air, the Ichibi at his back roaring out in obedience.

Yes... He would bring them to their knees.

**Yes? No? Did you like it?**

**Leave me a review and tell me how I did! Please and thank you.**


	10. Attack

**A/N: Extremely important, please read!**

**Ok a group of ten people are sent to Iwa, here is the list.**

**Gai**

**Anko**

**Mina(OC)**

**Sinbu(OC)**

**Lee**

**Naruto's ANBU Team**

**For the sake of my sanity, I'm going to put a name to their masks so yeah...**

**Kyori - Shishi**

**Hana - Tora**

**Ishi - Usagi**

**Miko - Kurohyou**

**Xian - Saru**

* * *

The wind swayed in his blonde hair. His eyes watched his team creep closer and closer to their goal. Iwa. The village itself was massive, his job was not simple. He was making a declaration of absolute war with what he was about to do.

The flying thunder god technique was feared because it was rumored that the Fourth Hokage had single handedly defeated entire battalions with it by himself. Naruto was here to prove that it was capable of much, much more. His team halted their movement as they waited for their Commander to signal them in.

He slipped a few tri-pronged kunai into his hand and flung them over the walls of Iwa. And in an instant chaos had ensued. He blurred through hand signs, unleashing a hellish dragon of fire upon multiple buildings. He stopped feeding it chakra the second he felt the fire take its own form, just as he had been training for. The dragon roared and continued on its path, free of control.

The screaming began soon after the dragon had let out its call of death. Shinobi came from the walls to the single man trying to burn down their beloved village. They all died the moment as he disappeared in a flash of yellow. Their single thought before death consumed them... '_It's that man!_' Horror never left their dead faces as their already lifeless bodies hit the ground.

Not a single hand sign was required as Naruto took a single tri-pronged kunai into his hand and launched it into the air. The people just coming out of their homes were privy to the sight of a single spec in the air becoming a mass of falling Kunai. They screamed as they were caught in a devastating onslaught brought about from a single man.

Naruto shoved a Rasengan through a man's back, his hand appearing on the outside of his abdomen for a mere millisecond as he tore his katana into another man's shoulder blade. Gone again and again! Downing man after man. The kunai he had hand were coated with wind chakra as he tore into enemy after enemy. This... was what he was made for.

A Rasenshuriken appeared suddenly in his palm, and he was gone from the surrounding shinobi in a split second, reappearing at their beloved Kage tower. The magnificent building was ensnared in a dome of pure light. The whirlwinds that swept through the village pushing many people to the ground as the building was simply gone. Nothing was left of it. Nothing.

Naruto wiped his brow as he took a breather. Pushing chakra into his palm again, he smirked as the Rasenshuriken appeared once again. He stared from his perch at the group trying to get to him... '_The fools_.' He struck as fast as ever. Throwing one of his most devastating techniques head first into the charging mayhem. He disappeared in another flash of yellow, escaping the blood bath by the skin of his teeth. He knew that the thirty or so men who were caught in that blast were gone.

That was the true strength of the Rasenshuriken. It did not hurt you. It did not cause trauma. It did not even kill you. This technique did so much more. You were nothing once that dome consumed you. It destroyed on the molecular level, and it was the single thing that absolutely terrified Naruto. There was nothing left of anything once that thing hit home.

But he had improved it even further, and he would show this village what it meant to act in aggression towards his home as he formed yet another Rasenshuriken. It enlarged in his palm, getting so close to slashing at his cheek, and he held it firm in his hand as it was engrossed by a sickish fire. The most perfect blue enveloping the already deadly ball. He stood on the tallest building that remained and threw his most impressive technique. As soon as it left his hand, he ran faster than he thought possible. The reason was clear as day when the bomb hit the ground.

A massive light erupted as if trying to devour it's surrounding, and consume it did. The light was siphoned as a dome half the size of coliseum burned bright against the horizon. Then there was the explosion...

That was his teams cue to attack with all they had! He moved back into the village flashing before his prey, his eyes as if he was the devil himself. They tried to scream, but more often than not, they were dead before they registered his presence. Naruto feared for his team. They were skilled, they were beyond what most Jounin could ever achieve, ninja on par with Kakashi and Gai, but they were not him. He continued to attack the helpless soldiers that fought so valiantly to save their precious home, but they had no hope left in their eyes as they spotted him coming closer and closer to them. They feared him just as they feared the Shinigami. In essence, he was the Shinigami.

He halted when he was almost skewered by a Katana. He turned to face his adversary. Of course. "Hello Toraske."

The Iwa Kage looked at him with fire in his eyes. Tears were leaking from his deep black eyes, "You dare? You dare come to my village, slaughter my people? You **Dare!**" He screamed in rage as fury consumed him. Killer intent radiated off the man as he stared at the blonde. "You have killed so many innocents on this day _**Namikaze**_, just as your _father_ did. I will end your pitiful fucking line for destroying what was left of mine!"

He attacked the Jinchuuriki with impressive speed, his sword slashing at Naruto's billowing cloak, but the blonde was already on the move, cutting at the back of the raging man. He missed and was surprised when the man had nearly hit him in the face. Toraske continued the onslaught, throwing punch after punch, only for Naruto to block or dodge without batting an eye. It infuriated him when the boy put a kunai into his hand, drawing blood. He yanked the small weapon out in an instant and sent it right back at the pitiful Konoha nin.

He reared a fist back and punched the ground, a great fissure erupted, nearly consuming Naruto as he disappeared in a yellow flash. He was sweating profusely now. He was almost out of chakra. All those techniques had drawn too much energy from him. He blocked the next punch that tried to take off his head, and nearly gasped at the pain that consumed him. He felt his hand break under the immense pressure the Tsuchikage hand put it under.

He roared in rage as his eyes flashed a brilliant hue and made a move to attack the Kage, but stopped when another roar consumed the sky. His dragon was nearly upon the Tsuchikage as it screamed in anger.

Toraske nearly gawked at the size of the monstrosity trying to obliterate him. He went through a few hand seals so fast, that he was sure he had messed up, but a two foot thick rock wall rose to protect him from the dragon. At first he thought he had failed and the dragon was going to consume him, but soon the scorching heat began to lessen.

He dropped his massive shield and smirked as Naruto held his side in pain. Said man was groaning in pain as his reserves plummeted. The damn dragon had siphoned a great deal of energy from him. He noticed the Tsuchikage again. '_This damn weakling_' Naruto was angry that this man thought he was better than him. **He** was far above this pathetic Iwa nin.

He felt his tenant stir, and he nearly laughed at the irony of it all. The Kyuubi hated being shown up. Hated being regarded as nothing but a small advantage. It considered itself the Deus Ex Machina of Naruto's skills. Naruto would not lie to himself, the Kyuubi was one hell of a power boost, but he'd never tell the beast that to its face.

The blonde chuckled when the Tsuchikage's charge faltered. The Kyuubi's killer intent flooded the small warzone, the death palpable in the air as Naruto's eyes burned with fury. There was no fury like the fox's, this was a well-known fact. He could be the angriest man in the world, and still the Kyuubi's hate was far greater than his. It showed as the Kage buckled for a second. "Do not fuck with me you weakling! You are nothing but an ant compared to Konoha nin!" He roared as the blackest of fires danced its way across the grounds to the Kage.

The man moved fast, escaping death by inches as he sprinted towards the Jinchuuriki he was now sure he could not defeat. He roared in frustration as he passed the blonde and continued on, he had to flee. He had to get to where his allies were.

His actions were halted before they could really be put into action as a fist collided with his face. The Tsuchikage flew to the ground in agony, clutching his now broken nose. "Curse you Namikaze! Your blood is retched and vile!" He pushed himself off the ground, the sense of vertigo nearly sending him back to stone earth. "You will pay for what you have done on this day. You will pay with your life and everything you love."

The blonde Jinchuuriki paid no heed to the Kage's words as he made his way to the man. The kunai in his hand flashed brilliantly in the moonlight, the blood on it dripping down ever so slowly. It was forever stained and tainted by the flesh of man. The Kage's eyes widened as he realized that he would be killed by such a meager tool. It was demeaning of his status to be ended by a kunai.

Naruto's path was intercepted by a rain of shuriken. Dodging as best as he could without being punctured by the small projectiles. He came face to face with numerous opponents, all of whom were jounin. A man with a tuft of black hair snarled at him, charging recklessly as his teammates screamed at him to stop. Their words fell on deaf ears.

He charged with a katana blazing in his hands, its steel giving off a faint vibration as it cut through the air. The man must have known that this would not work, must have known that he was running into his own death, but anger and pain brought adrenaline that made any man feel invincible to the outside world.

When a kunai was plunged into his gut he almost laughed, but was prevented from making a sound when that kunai was ripped out and shoved into his throat slicing into his jugular and left deep in his neck for him to bleed out swiftly. He turned to his allies; his wife among the group that he knew was doomed to die. He fell to his back, choking painfully on the blood that was invading his lungs and mouth. He couldn't breathe as the liquid continued to pour, its foul taste overriding every thought he had. His eyes were open in sharp focus as blackness finally consumed them.

Naruto watched in cold resignation as the man died. A woman screamed and his eyes were fixated on a blonde haired woman charging him with something akin to a Chidori.

It was not the Chidori, but the sight of the jutsu in her hands caused a bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Anger flowed like fire through his veins, making his grey eyes turn red, and an evil smirk graced his face. Something in him pulled. Pulled so hard that he lost control for a second, the second cost him as the jutsu was pushed into his belly.

He screamed in agony as the lightning burnt his flesh and electrified his blood. And more anger poured out. He looked at the woman with her hand in his stomach and roared in blind fury.

Just as he was about to land a devastating blow to her unprotected face, another pull stopped him. He slid back onto the floor and writhed in pain.

Something was pulling desperately in his body and he was beginning to panic. The Iwa nins seized this chance to unleash catastrophic jutsu upon the downed man. A myriad of earth, water, and lightning jutsu fell upon the prone body of Naruto, encasing him in hell.

The men and women who saw what had occurred screamed out in joy. One man's face was curved up in happiness, a warm smile enveloping his dirt encrusted face.

The next moment, the man's jaw was removed from his skull as a claw of pure chakra tore through it. Blood seeped out of the fatal wound and the man fell. The cries of joy turned to screams of horror as a vile chakra seeped out of the presumably dead blonde.

"**So it seems that I've gained some semblance of control.**" A smirk appeared on the rejuvenating face of Naruto. Eyes red like that of a demon peered at its prey and a small laugh echoed into the crowd. "**Good.**"

Hands of red chakra burst from the ground, encircling a mass number of people in their clutches. Skin began to burn and then melt under the intense heat of the chakra. People screamed for mercy and forgiveness as their bones began to liquefy.

Kyuubi's smile never faded as he ripped a man's leg off with his bare hands. Running up to the next nin in the area and sinking his teeth into his neck. A scream of terror erupted from his throat until the Kyuubi ripped out his trachea.

He spit out the moist flesh, using a chakra hand to bring him his next toy. He admired the blonde that nearly killed his container for only a second, then his eyes flashed brilliantly and fire consumed the woman's head. Kyuubi watched in sick glee as her eyes burst and a vile yellow liquid erupted onto the floor. He laughed like a mad man when her skull erupted in a display of gore. He watched until the white of her skull was burnt black, and even then still smashed it with a quick fist.

He stalked to the fleeing Tsuchikage. The man was doomed. He could not escape his container, he would not escape him!

"**Look at me you disgusting little creature.**" The Tsuchikage felt a foot smash into his back. He fell to the floor in a heap. He was sure that his spinal column was no longer aligned. He couldn't feel his legs. Terror consumed his features as he caught sight of the demonic Namikaze, "**Yes! Fear me! You already know your fate imbecile.**"

Kyuubi did not end the man's life in a swift fashion. He would make an example out of this whelp. Using more chakra claws, he hoisted the man up, hanging him by his feet. He took a kunai out of Naruto's hip pouch and pushed it into the Tsuchikage's stomach, burying it deep into his flesh. He looked the man in the eyes and smiled softly. It obviously terrified the Kage as he screamed in horror.

"**I've always wanted to know that would happen if this technique was used in this sort of way!**" He nearly giggled as he disappeared in a flash of yellow and reappeared in a spray of gore. The Tsuchikage's body was literally blown apart from the inside out as Naruto's body was placed inside of him.

Blood poured down the Kyuubi's hair and he was honestly very happy with the results, it showed as he gathered the energy for one of the fools more powerful techniques. The black fire that began to dance in his palm was intensifying in power as it began to flash a brilliant white. The fire began to condense into a ball, in a matter of seconds; said ball was an eerie white sphere of unimaginable heat. The Kyuubi cackled as he threw the ball into the air, watching it fall into a random part of the village. Ah his jailor was quite the interesting man.

Kyuubi smiled as an explosion threw every living being around him to the ground. A fire bloomed to life, consuming a vast amount of land in its radius. This fire would last for days, never dropping in intensity, never dropping in size. It burned hotter than the sun, unique in the sense that it gave off absolutely no heat. It was self-contained. Only the fire itself was hot. It did not require oxygen. No this was something else entirely.

Kyuubi began to think of his jailors bloodline. It was odd. It gave the boy an extreme awareness of the elements, an extreme awareness of the mind, and that terrified the Kyuubi. The Sharingan gave the user an extreme awareness of the mind, and those eyes could control him. These powers that humans possessed could be terrifying in the right hands.

He cackled madly for a second, glancing at a nearby ninja. The ninja saw his eyes lock on to him and screamed.

"**Tell Madara...**" The blonde disappeared in a yellow flash, appearing before the man and placing his hands onto his shoulders, "**That Kyuubi says hello.**" He ripped the man apart, watching in mild fascination as organs lost their place. The intestines were stretched out unevenly and the liver had fallen onto the floor. It looked odd to the Kyuubi, seeing all this gore up close like this. He was used to human's being specs of dirt.

He decided that he preferred it this way.

Suddenly his control wavered, his eyes darkened to gray for a second before going back to their red. The Kyuubi jerked violently as his host fought for dominance, he found his control wavering, fading as the boy gained more stability. He grinned one last time before he was sent back into the recess of Naruto's mind.

Gray eyes surveyed the field, and a sudden dry heave escaped his mouth. He vomited on the blood stained dirt as he saw the destruction he had brought on this village. There were body parts strewn about in ways that made him sick to the stomach. Then he spotted it. The white tower of fire that he had sworn never to use again.

It roared out in anger as it shed its light. He nearly shed tears as he tried to think of how the people who were caught in the radium must have died... There was a thing about that fire. As hot as it was, it was never an instant death.

He inhaled for a second before releasing a breathe. It was time to leave.

* * *

The team watched the explosion in fascination. They knew that Naruto was capable of some very serious ninjutsu, they had witnessed things from their commander that would make most people vomit by a simple explanation of the feats. But this...

A massive radius was decimated before their very eyes.

"Stop lollygagging slackers!" Sinbu rushed forward, intent on entering the city that was in chaos. The rest soon followed with Mina hot on his heels. Dual katana's flashed dangerously in the moonlight, moving silently into the screaming village.

A spray of blood was the only warning that an unsuspecting group had when Sinbu's steel pierced their flesh. A cry of pain was heard when another man fell, a kunai in the chest. All was silent for a second until the group reacted, shouting warning to fellow comrades of the impending attack. Mina danced with her dual katana's, their edges nearly killing three men that were near. They dodged her attacks in an impressive display of flexibility.

Earth jutsu rose from the ground, intent on crushing the red head. She nimbly moved through the incoming projectiles, closing in on her fighting prey. A spike of concrete nearly gutted her, a small gash adorned her cheek, and she became flustered. Her speed increased and her katana was buried to the hilt in her first opponent. His comrades watched in anger, their hands flashing through seals quickly in hope that something they pulled out would crush this girl.

Gai's rising uppercut shattered the jaw of a man caught unaware. Continuing his onslaught, he effortlessly released the straps on his legs and arms. His speed increasing to extraordinary levels. No one saw him coming. His fists were bone crushing. Numerous strikes to his enemy's chest left their chest cavities collapsed. Blood poured from their mouths and their eyes were stuck in confusion. Gai was so fast that no one could keep up with his motions. These men stood no chance. A dynamic kick to a man's sternum left him lying in the dirt, already dead from the bone piercing his heart.

Lee, like his master, was utterly destroying his opponents. Lee, like Gai, had far exceeded what a human was supposed to be capable of. Even a Shinobi could not last under the constant strain that he and Gai constantly put themselves under. They moved so fast that their bones creaked from the strain. It was painful, but they were proud people who would not bow down to limits. The weights on their bodies were so great, that a simple strike from one of the bracers would crush a man's skull fifty times over. When those bracers came off...

Lee's arm was halfway into a man's sternum, blood pouring out of the wound in an unnatural flow. The man screamed as Lee pulled out and left him to die. Quickly moving on, Lee kicked the nearest man, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. In a blur, he appeared behind another enemy, quickly plunging a kunai into the base of the neck. Dodging and incoming kunai, Lee moved to intercept another group of confused Iwa nins.

Naruto's ANBU team, not one to separate, killed together. Using a number of complimenting Jutsu to take out numerous opponents. A spray of water gushed out of Kyori's mouth, a light drizzle falling on incoming nin, Hana, flying through hand seals, released a clap of thunder from her palms, watching as the Iwa nins attempted to scatter.. The bolt hit a small puddle and nature took effect. A wave of lightning emitted through all the exposed water, killing men instantly as their blood boiled and their nervous systems shut down. The water coating their bodies acting as constant chain reaction,

Ishi released a gust of wind just as Xian sent a large fireball at three nin. The gust enveloped the fire, making it larger and faster. An explosion ensued when one of the enemy nin tried to block the jutsu with an earth wall. The wall shattered into pieces as the fiery ball consumed them. Xian pulled out a kunai, throwing it swiftly and lodging it into a man's skull when he was trying to stab Ishi with a katana.

Miko was in the center of the group, releasing small waves of Genjutsu around the area, attempting to confuse the enemy even more with simple illusions layered upon much greater ones. A man was caught in one a few meters ahead. He was stabbing at his own arm, attempting to take the limb off. Miko was beyond the level of most Genjutsu experts. She was capable of confusing the nervous system so that pain was not felt. Then enemies, unknowingly, killed themselves trying to rid themselves of what they were seeing.

The group sent out to destroy Iwa was wearing down at the ten minute marker, their attacks becoming sloppier and less controlled. The plans became less focused and the attacks much weaker. They were slowly wearing themselves out, ready to face death, ready to do their duty for Konoha and kill these pathetic rock nins.

Suddenly a cry was heard within the field. Xian was holding his gut in pain, blood spewing from the wound in a cascade of red. He fell to his knees as Miko came to his side. An enemy's katana had ripped his lower abdomen completely open. He coughed out blood into his hand and looked at Miko with fear in his eyes, "You know... I-I never thought I woul-would die..." He nearly choked on his own blood as he chuckled, "I-It." His breathing became labored as he tried his best to inhale. "It re-really sucks."

"No! Shut up Xian! You're going to be ok!" Tears spilled down her beautiful face, "We'll protect you until Naruto gets back!" She bawled as he coughed out more blood, "No! Xian don't you leave me!"

"Y-you know Miko." He smiled brightly, blood slowly dripping down his face, "I L-Love..." A kunai was imbedded into his head, Xian eyes glazed over, his eyes forever set in confusion.

Miko screamed in pain as her teammate died before her very eyes. Her eyes caught sight of the killer, a jounin calmly assessing the situation, "You! You killed him!" She roared, "I'll fucking kill you."

The man looked at her and smiled, "Sure you will." As the words left his mouth, a large group of Jounin emerged from the soil, ready for battle.

The group of Konoha nin were devastated at the newest turn of events. They were all going to die in this battle.

Then all hell broke loose.

Suppression. It was the only word that could possible describe the inability to move. The forces of Konoha and Iwa were halted as a great force pushed them to their knees. All thoughts of those dead were lost as the thought of everyone dying invaded the mind. Kyuubi's chakra is the feeling of death. It is famine. It is despair. It is the end. The thought of dying brought every man to their knees no matter how powerful. That feeling of utter despair. It was incomparable to anything. It stopped the human body.

A genin in the ranks of the Iwa squad pulled out a kunai, screaming in pain, and plunged the weapon into his chest. He felt nothing but the ever present dread as he scraped the kunai against his spine. Ripping muscles and vital organs to shreds in hope of ending the pain. He never stopped screaming. It never left anyone's mind when his body hit the floor.

The pressure kept on building up, rising in intensity and power. Soon it was hard to breathe. Those without the will to face whatever was coming their way killed themselves in hope that it would all just end. Mina watched Sinbo's eyes widen in fear. His breathing came faster and faster. Soon he was screaming for help. Someone to stop the pain. Stop the fear. He screamed and cried. Banged his fist to the floor in agony. Soon it was too much. Mina watched in horror as the man that she had respected for his power and courage, plunge a katana into his heart. A look of horror forever stuck on his face.

Perhaps that was when she broke. Her hand shakily reached for her own Katana. The screams of her comrades never reaching her ears as she prepared to end the hell she was stuck in. Her arms shaking badly, she positioned the blade to her heart. She would do it without remorse. She closed her eyes and fell to her back as a massive explosion blew everyone away. She watched in terror as a raging fire rose into the sky, its sickening light let off an ethereal glow, calling out to her.

Suddenly their team leader appeared, looking as if he was about to end the world. His fists were white, his hair matted with blood, his shirt so tattered that she was sure it would just fall off. Even though the man was covered in so much gore, the very sight of him brought hope to her heart. She stood up, watching as the enemy retreated when they spotted him. This man evoked fear into them so easily. It scared her.

"Mina..." He gritted the words out, "Mission accomplished, gather our force..." He stepped past her, "We're going back to Konoha."

"We lost two..." Her voice shook. "Xian was killed and... and Sinbo committed senpeku."

She watched the man quiver for a second, and with a finality she had never seen before, he stood straight, met her eyes, "I'll take their bodies..." He looked away, "Now go!"

And she ran.

* * *

The walls of Konoha were quite the sight to see for the team. They were expecting the gates of hell when they left, but they made it back alive. A full scale attack on Iwa... With ten men. The insanity of such a thing.

The team watched as their leader went on ahead to report to the council. He would go alone as they crawled to their respective homes. Almost dead on their feet. How the man kept on moving was a feat in itself as they could not fathom what had occurred in Iwa.

Naruto burst into the council chambers, a snarl on his face. "You people have cost this village two invaluable shinobi..." He roared in anger. "How fucking dare you sit up there while we kill for the safety of those fucking seats."

Homaru rose, "You say only two died?" She clapped, "I was so sure that there would be many more casualties Namikaze! Congratulations on your success."

"Only t**wo caSu**_**a**_**lTi**_**es**_!" His voice became a growl, "**Those are good fucking men that died out there! On this **_**pointless**_** fucking mission**!"

"Stand down Shinobi!" The civilian council was still present. That never happened during a time of war, Konoha was a Shinobi village, solely meant for the continuation of the shinobi way. It was a dictatorship in which the Hokage ruled all, the only one above him was the Daimyo. But this was pathetic, the third had let the council become something it was never meant to be. A determining factor in decisions. In the time that he was away, they had stripped the clans of their power in the council. There was almost a civil war, but Tsunade had pleaded with them to stand their ground.

Now the council was filled with Homaru, Komaru, Danzo, and the rich civilians who paid them quite nicely to keep things as such. It was a disgusting sight to see. Three shinobi with their own agendas, making decisions for a Hokage. Disgusting. Then the civilians who vied for power used money to sway their way into Shinobi matters. _Disgusting_

Naruto's eyes fell on the man who had stood up in the crowd. "This council has made me realize something..."

"And what would that be?" Komaru's eyebrows rose

"**That it needs to be destroyed.**" He pulled out his famous tri-kunai.

**A/N: **

Sweet :) So who enjoyed? Who hated it? Anything ya'll noticed that needs improvement. Please make a legit suggestion lol. This chapter was for Bowtech Sniper. Due to his pressuring and reassurances (lol) I was able to get this done :)


	11. No Right

Sorry for the long wait. There are a few mistakes here in there grammatically. I kind of lost patience while reviewing the chapter and decided that I can live with that. I didn't get anyone to Beta this, I'll probably get bowtech to do it on a later date. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

-Hypno

* * *

It was a spray of gore that signaled the slaughter. Danzo's eyes were wide with disbelief for a mere second. The look forever plastered on his face as his eyes glazed over. Head spewing blood from it's dislodged position.

Naruto flicked the blood off his katana, letting tri-kunai fly in the mass. He disappeared and reappeared in a chaotic order. This was the end of the council. The civilians had mere seconds to scream before their lives were ended by his blade.

Naruto's eyes were blank, void of emotion as he killed the members of the council. He left the two elders for last, their looks of fear ever present as he faced them. They still sat upon their raised seats, high above all the other members, they witnessed the massacre that would surely change all of Konoha.

Homaru and Komaru had served Konoha for years, experiencing so many things. This was something entirely new to them. "Namikaze Naruto! This is treason!" Her voice shook from the anger of his actions, slowly gaining it's usual powerful tone. "What you are doing is wrong, and will be punished even after our deaths."

"You are a fool. You commit this atrocious crime when Konoha is at the brink of destruction?" Komaru's eyes held hate that was so vivid, Naruto could feel it in his own veins. "We have lived through terrible wars, witnessed hundreds of deaths, felt the blade of our enemies at our necks! You are nothing! You are an insignificant being, and to die by your blade is unbecoming of my life as a Shinobi."

Homaru's eyes were veiled with an unknown emotion. "Kill us. Do it. It will be your undoing Namikaze. ANBU will come through that door eventually and end your pathetic life."

"You two have attempted to overstep your boundaries over and over again, no ANBU will step through that door because _I_ have not ordered them to." He stepped up to the aged veterans, "The good of Konoha is no longer in your eyes oh wise council. You have seen it fit to play cards around the Hokage's eyes, and in doing so have left your own lives forfeit." Two kunai rested in his palms.

"Look at me!" Their eyes were steeled upon his own, "Look at me and tell me that you two deserve to live!" He screamed at them in fury, "**You have given orders that have caused the death of people who were not meant to die! A Ninja's life is not meant to be thrown away for your personal gain!**"

"How dare you speak to us in such a way _jinchuuriki_! That is not your place! I have seen more death, betrayal, and slaughter than you ever will you fool!" Homaru's eyes met his, and in that instant she knew true fear.

"_**No**_! I have killed thousands of innocent beings just to prove that Konoha is not weak. This is no longer the feudal days in which a war consists of small clans trying to kill each other." He screamed, "I have become a monster because of what you have done to me, and for that I shall show you what it is like to face a _**Jinchuutiki**_."

Boiling chakra escaped his system, a sick rush of inaudible sound pushed forth through the air. The red coat roared to live, grabbing the two elders in ethereal hands. Human flesh made contact with the demonic strength, and in a short lived play of power, the flesh lost. Catching fire in an instant, causing the elders blood to boil in their veins. They screamed in agony as their skin burned away, and the muscles became ash. Their eyes burst in a splash of yellow gore, seeping down their blackening skulls. Naruto watched them die, the usual feeling of satisfaction making itself known in the pit of his stomach. That was the true price paid in becoming a Jinchuuriki. The satisfaction of death graced by your power. The elders stopped screaming as their tracheas burnt to ash, soon a pile of gray matter was all that remained.

"Fools." The chakra receded, almost like a snake retreating into a burrow. Slow and precise, always ready to react.

The door burst open, the wood splintering as it gave in.

"Naruto..." Tsunade's eyes were wide with horror, "What have you done?"

"What needed to be done." He walked past her shocked form.

"Where do you think your going?" She turned to face his retreating back, "**Where do you think your going**?" She yelled, her voice powerful and steady, "You have ruined yourself! Do you not comprehend that you have just massacred people of this village? That is _treason_."

"What are you going to do about it?" His eyes glowed eerily when he turned to face her. "What will you do _Hokage-Sama_? Order my men to take me in? Surely you understand that I have been training your shinobi on a daily basis alongside Kakashi. You may be Hokage, your word may be law, but my word is defining." His face was eerily calm, no sign of stress present, "You should be glad that I did what I did, these scum were destroying this village while you idly sat back and let them."

"They were the council you idiot! They have been around since my ancestors founded this village!" Her glare could have killed a lesser man.

"No Tsunade, this council cannot be compared to the one born with the village. Are you not aware that you are supposed to hold every ounce of power within this village, yet some civilians and an old washed up has been rule above you. Hell I even have more power than you within your ranks." He took a seat in one of the many bloody chairs. "This is ridiculous! How can you be so uncaring about the destruction caused by these fucking sacs of shit!"

"This was not your decision! You are **not** Hokage!" Her eyes burned in anger. "I've let you get away with a hell of a lot of treasonous acts, but this will cause a civil war!" She fell into a chair, a strong emotion building in her chest. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? A civil war in a time of war! What the hell were you thinking Naruto? You once told me that you believed in me. That you believed I could do great things for this village." Tears leaked from her eyes.

"You were the one who brought me back to this _forsaken_ village!" Her chest heaved in great motions, "Why? **Why did you do this to me**?"

He sat back in silence, stunned by her words. Anger had controlled his actions. Not reason. He had just slaughtered his own people. For what? Justice? Was there even such a thing anymore. He was betraying Tsunade. The last person alive that he considered family. He just broke her...

"Baa-Chan..." He looked at her, regret in his eyes. "I..."

"I quit." Her eyes were locked to his in an instant. Red and aching as they gauged his very being. "You can be Hokage now. Seeing as how you believe yourself to be all knowing. You believe yourself to be _the_ boss." She stood calm and collected, "Tomorrow will be your inauguration, but after that... Your never to speak to me again Naruto."

He nodded his head. Unable to say a thing as she exited the gore filled room.

What would he do now?

* * *

The next day Naruto stood in the now clean council room. Faced with the many leaders of Konoha's clans, he felt out of place.

"You've been named to Rokudaime." Hiashi spoke in an even voice, "Yesterday you committed an act that has left many furious and unsure of this villages survival of the coming days." He sat back, face ever devoid of emotion. "Explain yourself."

"Yesterday, after I had returned from my mission I assassinated the entire civilian council along with the elders. It had come to my attention that they were intent on destroying this village from the inside with the intent of self profit. This information came from ANBU operatives that worked under my wing. They spoke of a secret band of Shinobi by the alias of Root."

He stood tall and firm, meeting every members eye. "We are at war. We are in a losing battle at this moment, they were only making things worse by undermining the Hokage, undermining this village, and attempting to dilute the power of this village. I acted against the will of the previous Hokage because I knew that if it were to continue, there would be no hope of succeeding against this alliance."

"What gave you that right Namikaze?" The head of the Nara clan stepped up, "You could have done so many other things besides murdering those people in cold blood. Now we have civilian clans revoking the money they provide for a piece of this villages funding. How will we compensate for that?"

"I did not have the right..." Naruto sighed, "I made the mistake of letting my anger guide my actions. I lost the most important aspect of being a shinobi. Keeping emotions in check." He spoke directly to the Nara head, "I can only repent for my actions as there is no going back. How will I compensate for the money lost? I have billions of ryu saved up from countless missions, from my inheritance, from the bounties collected. I will give it all up as a repayment to this village."

"I understand that there are angry civilian clans, that will be dealt with very carefully." He shook his head slowly, "I know that you all view this action as an unforgivable act, but you must look past it!"

"You are young and a fool, you don't have any experience in dealing with these things. I have no clue why Tsunade would make a brat like you Hokage!" Tsume Inuzuka was growling out words, her eyes cast in a glare.

"I am not inexperienced. How dare you! You have no idea what it is like to be a sacrifice to a unworthy village! I did not have a childhood, my only childhood friend tried to kill me on multiple occasions, I did not have a family, I do not have a family, I have been given nothing in my life! I have killed so many people that there are no longer faces, there are burning villages, screams of thousands of innocents." He met her glare with an icy expression. "You think that your life as a shinobi was hard Tsume? You think that hunting a group of bandits, killing a few men here and there was bad? You grew up in a tight knit family, with people who love you, while I grew up with no love, with the idea that being treated like the plague was very normal..."

Agony sunk into his eyes, "Last night I blew up a tenth of a village, massacring thousands of people in a single night. You know nothing."

His eyes left hers quickly, scanning the eyes of the clan heads, "Tomorrow the war will officially begin. Iwa will retaliate against us, there isn't a doubt about that. I believe that they will attack the only ally we have at this point before they even attempt to destroy our walls. They will go for Suna's only supply of vital materials that travel in from the many roads our country trades from. We can't let that happen."

"Don't change the subject!" A man from one of the lesser clans cried out, "How can you stand there and act so high when just a few hours ago you killed twenty six innocent people! Your own people!"

"I can stand here with no emotional unbalance for my many crimes against humanity because I am a _shinobi_. A man trained to kill and show no regret. I've killed countless numbers of innocent people... Twenty six more won't be fretted upon." Frustration was finally seeping into the blondes blood, a cold fury brewing in his veins. "This can be discussed **later **because if we continue with this line of discussion this village is going to be destroyed."

Silence overtook the council.

"Many of you are now old, meaning that you have seen the outcome of war. It means that most of you have been to war with Iwa already. You know that their men are very powerful, that they have more soldiers than we do." He paused, "What you have not been informed of is the fact that they have joined in arms with Akatsuki. They now have the power of seven bijuu at their disposal." Many in the crowd gasped, "You were all here the night the Kyuubi came. It is the strongest being in existence. Imagine seven of these beings coming at our walls. Another thing our previous Hokage has yet to inform you of is the death of the Tsuchikage by my hand. Yesterday an attack on Iwa was staged as a beginning of this war as we did not want them attacking us first. In the chaos I destroyed a tenth of their village and took out Toraske. With him out of the picture, the man who was presumed dead nearly a hundred years ago, Uchiha Madara, will take over his village and use it to destroy us."

"How is that possible?" The Nara head took a stand, "All these things that your saying! How the hell did they accomplish all this behind our backs?"

"This is the treachery that I am talking about! You would know these things if the elders _allowed_ Tsunade to speak of them!" He took a breath, "Akatsuki has been collecting bijuu for over ten years. And every village has just allowed them to take this power from them without retaliation. Jiraiya was the only person alive that knew the full extent of what they have hidden behind their names, but due to his untimely death at the hands of the presumed leader, this knowledge is gone."

"So what is your plan... Hokage-Sama?" Hiashi bowed his head in respect, finally giving a symbol of acknowledgment to the blonde.

"Iwa and it's allies will be heading to Suna, not to it's walls, but it's vital trade routes. Nara..." The clan head nodded, "I'm going to need you to go straight to the Central Intelligence Department, go through as many lists of our shinobi's specs as you can, and assemble multiple teams to dispatch the the trade routes. I will be sending clones to assist you and deliver intel on some of the enemies known elites."

"Hai Hokage-Sama!" He disappeared in a shunshin.

"The rest of you..." Naruto met their eyes for the hundredth time that day, "Your clans are a vital asset to this village. Every single clan in Konoha is important, and I'm sure that some of you have had a great deal of disagreement in the past, but that needs to be put behind you and not set aside. I will not have feuds between allies over money and land! I will be out on the field and not in my office, so I'm going to need several volunteers to handle the still incoming missions and paperwork. Hiashi you are going to be the one directly under me. All the big decisions will be made by you if I'm not around. So you handle the volunteers. I need to get out of here for this Inauguration. Right after that it's off to war."

A mass sound of agreement met his ears. He nodded in recognition and disappeared in a flash of yellow.

"That kid is something else..." Tsume shook her head in disbelief.

"He scares the fuck out of me..." The Akamichi clan head quipped.

* * *

The Inauguration was a grand event. The crowd roared in anticipation. There was a new Hokage. The village pariah was being announced Hokage, but the news of his victory over Iwa had boosted the populations view on him.

"I can't believe it!" Sakura had a slight smile on her face, "You remember when we used to tell him that he could never be Hokage? And now look!"

Her husband wasn't smiling. He looked angry. Unsure. So uncertain of whatever was on his mind.

"Sasuke?"

"Not now Sakura..." He stared down at the dirt roads, walking along with the crowds toward the Tower.

"Aren't you happy for him? He's achieved his dream!" She put her hands on his shoulders, pulling his body into her own, "Come on Sasuke-Kun, he's your best friend!"

"Don't you fucking say that ever again." He glared at her, "Naruto is not my best friend Sakura. We don't see eye to eye. We never will."

He walked past his stunned wife, pausing to glance at the shocked Hinata standing off to the side. As usual, Kiba was by her side.

"God that guys such a prick." Kiba scratched his untamed hair, "I swear I don't even know why Naruto bothered bringing him back."

"Because he promised Sakura-San..." Her eyes were downcast for a moment before their usual light came back, "He's going to be Hokage. He's really done it..."

"Crazy huh?" Kiba whistled and Akamaru came out, barreling down the streets of Konoha. "Come here boy!"

"Oi! Kiba! Hinata!" The two were greeted by Shikimaru and Ino.

"Oh hey guys!" He gave a cheerful smile as they gathered in a circle.

"So new Hokage huh?" Shikamaru nearly laughed, "Dead last... Heh I guess some things are just meant to be huh."

"I remember when we used to skip out on class with that idiot..." Kiba laughed, "Now the guy goes into Iwa and decimates their forces and their Kage? You'd think that he was a god damned one man army!"

"I take it you haven't seen him in action then?" Ino gave a cocky grin.

"No I never got the chance to spar with the bastard."

"Well then your lucky. That guy _is_ a one man army." She rubbed a phantom pain on her side, "He's taught me so much, I'm glad I had the chance to get to know the guy."

"Oh yeah! You were his apprentice for a few months right?" Kiba tapped Hinata's back, "I bet you wish you had that chance right Hinata-Chan!"

"Kiba-Kun... Don't start." A blush creeped up her pale face.

"Oh you know I'm just teasing." He gave a low guttural laugh, "Besides I heard Ino here has the guy on a leash!"

"As amusing as that would be, it's the other way around." Shikimaru dodged the initial strike from Ino, "He's got her around his finger." He gave a cheeky wink just as a fist collided with his face.

"Hmmm I guess I can see that happening too!" Kiba was also awarded a fist to the jaw.

"I'll have you know he's dating Temari of Suna!" The jealousy in her voice couldn't be hidden.

"Oh damn! She's fucking hot! Lucky bastard!" Kiba gave a loud whoop, "Remind me to congratulate him on that too when we see him!"

"Congratulate who my dear friends!" Lee appeared out of nowhere as usual. His usual thumbs up was ever present.

"Naruto of course..." Kiba sighed at the man's antics, "He's Hokage now..."

"Oh Naruto-Kun! He has already recovered from the battle last night? His flames of youth must be the size of the Hokage Mountain!"

"Weren't you on that strike force?" Ino looked interested.

"Hai! It was such an intense memory my beautiful comrade. One I wouldn't ever relive!"

"But ya'll won! You went up against an entire village with only ten people and came back victorious." Kiba pumped his fist into the air, "It must be an honor to do such a thing and make it back to tell the tale."

"Agh. Kiba-Kun some things are just not to be remembered for the sake of our flames of youth." Lee gave him a full toothed smile, "Naruto-Kun is a glorious shinobi, that is all I can say."

"Oh whatever be a party pooper then." He frowned slightly, but was distracted by the cheering going on, "It looks like it's about to start!"

"Well then let's go cheer him on!" Ino smiled as she walked down to the Tower.

The crowds were wild with cheer, shouting out for Naruto to come out. To show his face so they could scream their approval. It was an odd turnabout. For Ino, she was used to the cold glares directed at her and the other blonde, he was a pariah... But here these people were, cheering a man they hated yesterday. It wasn't really fair, but then again... Life isn't very fair.

"Look! Look! It's his apprentice!" A woman cheered loudly, prompting a group of people to surround her, streaming question after question into her mind.

"Uh, thank you for the praise, but I think the ceremony is going to begin." She plastered on a fake smile, pointing up to the emerging Hokage. The group left her alone, looking up at the sight and cheering in tandem.

Tsunade stood tall and proud on the balcony. "Hello Konohagakura..." She went on to tell them of the brilliance that Naruto showed in battle against Iwa, about his canny ability to protect everything close to him. A speech to spur the people love even more...

"I give you Namikaze Naruto!" There was a deafening applause as the crowds cheered in approval. Nothing but the claps and whistles could be heard as the tall blonde emerged from the great doors of the balcony. He waved, eliciting a mass eruption of screams.

"Here is your Rokudaime!" Tsunade disappeared into the curtains leaving her fellow blonde to take on the crowd.

His speech was brilliant. One that spurred even Ino into uproar. A speech on the upcoming war. How Konoha would forever burn brightly as it crushed it's enemies. It was invigorating to hear words of success pointed out to the entire village. Many in the crowd were in tears, taking in their new Kage... This powerful man!

"And with the beginning of the festival my term begins!" He disappeared into his office. The crowd roaring to life in the background.

"First thing's first..." He sat back in his chair. "Gather the group that Ino was supposed to lead to our borders." He ran a hand through his long locks. "Add a few more Jounin onto the roster. I want Kakashi to lead with her. There mission is to guard the border at all costs. If the enemy is spotted, they will need to inform us immediately. That is all. You are dismissed Inu."

"Hai Hokage-Sama."

The ANBU disappeared in a swirl of leaves, off to gather the specified ninja.

It irked him that he had to send Ino out onto the field so early in the war. It wracked his nerves that he didn't know if she was ready to handle that pressure. He had trained her long and hard, preparing her for this moment... But something in him wanted her close by.

In his musings he barely noticed the door to his office open up. Temari walked into his mahogany crafted room and smiled brightly. "Hokage-Sama!"

"Temari-Chan." He gave her a full smile, enveloping her in his arms. He held her tight, unsure of how long he could keep her with him. A frown formed on his face, the news that he desperately needed to share with her would trouble her greatly. She might leave, she might stay. He wasn't sure of how she would react.

"Congratulations on your new job." She leaned out of the hug, moving a few stray bangs from his face, "I always knew you could achieve anything Naruto-Kun."

"Thank you Temari-Chan." His lips lightly touched hers, pulling her into a passionate trance. When her lips moved away the cold realization that he could not have this if she left hit him.

She noticed the pained look on his face and began to worry. "Is something wrong Naruto-Kun?"

"There is something..." He sighed, sitting her down in a chair. "Suna is in serious danger Temari." His eyes were locked on hers. "Serious danger. This war has officially begun and Suna is the first place Madara is going to hit."

She gasped, a sudden fear in her eyes.

"I'm doing my best to prepare forces to render aid to them, but..."

"But?"

"Time is very limited right now. As we speak, Shinobi from the enemy alliance are marching to block off all access to Suna's trade routes." The grim realization set in for her. "The problem does not lie in them breaching Suna's walls, but in the fact that they will starve your people. Kill thousands from the lack of water and food."

"Can't you do something about this?" She panicked, the fright becoming ever more present as she stood up and gripped his arm. "You attacked Iwa! A full out attack practically by yourself!"

"I can't be thirty places at once Temari-Chan." He sighed, "I can't leave Konoha as often as I wish I could. It is also in danger."

Tears leaked from her face. "They need me there Naruto!"

"Temari... Think about this before you do something ra..."

"NO! I can't let my people starve to death! I will be out there helping them as much as I can!" Her soft whimpers reached his ears, "I can't stay here Naruto!" And the soft sobs became full out bawls, "I'm.. I'm so sorry, but I just can't!"

"I..." Something in his wanted to snap, but he held it in check, "I understand Temari-Chan." He embraced her sobbing form, an unshed tear lingering in his eye.

He let her go, "Be careful out there." He turned away and walked behind his desk, a sad smile gracing his face as she rushed out the door. Only their final kiss belaying any feeling into his hurting heart.

"You be careful out there." The words were lost to the wind as he picked up a pen and began on some important documents. Perhaps the workload would take his mind off things.

It was not to be.

The squad that he had called for came into his office, Ino in the lead. Today was just going to be a hectic god damn day.

"Hello Ino."

"Hokage-Sama." She gave him a smile.

"Your probably wondering what the hell is going on." His face became grim, "I wouldn't pull you away from the festival if it weren't a necessity. But as it stands, Konoha's borders are in serious danger." He leaned forward onto his desk, fingers interlacing. "I'm sure you all know that we are severely outnumbered. As we speak I have already sent word to our smaller allies that the war has officially begun. Their aid will come as soon as possible."

"Your mission that was scheduled in another five days will be pushed up to right now. I have extended the list of participating members from twelve to thirty. You are Konoha's first line of defense. Do not misinterpret this. You are not an attack squad. Your mission is to scout our borders, and if there is any disturbance you are to report **immediately**." He handed Ino a scroll, "Here are the parameters. You and Kakashi are to lead the squad and..."

"Wait I thought I was just leading!" She glared at him, "Naruto! I'm read..."

"Don't interrupt me Ino. I'm not here to ease your ego. You are not capable of leading twenty-nine men by yourself." She gave a huff but continued to listen, "Now as I said, Ino and Kakashi are to lead the squad. How you separate the load is up to you. Inside the scroll are thirty seals, they will be handed out to each of you by your leaders. At any sign of trouble, pump chakra into the seals and a notice will be sent directly to me."

"I'm sending along a trap specialist amongst the squad, he will give you the blueprints for a series of traps that he has created to stall the enemy if they do begin closing in on our borders. You'll be out there for five days... So please be careful. All of you." His eyes landed on Ino, the worry never showing in them as he gave her a gentle smile, "You are all dismissed." They all turned to leave, "Ino... Stay for a second."

The squad trickled out, leaving the two. "Don't take it personal Ino, but I know without a doubt that you can't handle all those men."

"I know Naruto, it was just wounded pride I guess." Her eyes were downcast, "Congratulations on the new job."

"Thanks." He stood up, approaching her form, "Be careful out there Ino. If you feel that your squad, or if you can't handle the situation. If something goes terribly wrong..." He gave her a seal, "This is for you. I'm serious. Don't be afraid to call me if everything goes to hell."

"Hai." She smiled at him, the awkward silence settling in, "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"If I don't make it back..."

"Don't say things like that Ino." His eyes were hard.

"No I'm serious." She met his grey eyes, "If I don't make it back, I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me."

"I know." He smiled, "You mean a lot to me too." He embraced her. Letting the peace settle in his heart. He let her go. "Now get out of here and prove to the world that your my apprentice."

"Bye Naruto-Kun." She waved as she left his office.

He sighed and got back into his ridiculously comfortable chair. "I hate women." With that he continued on his paperwork.

* * *

Kakashi met Ino at the door. "We're meeting at the gate in thirty minutes."

"Hai."

Kakashi was gone in a swirl of leaves.

Ino's nerves were settling in. Naruto made it seem like all hell was coming to Konoha's borders and it was thirty Ninja's jobs to stop them. Maybe that's exactly what it was. Well if Naruto could single handedly decimate a good chunk of Iwa's forces, then thirty shinobi could stop hell from coming through a single entrance.

And if not. She had her fail safe on hand.

She went straight home, entering her room in a somber mood. There was so much running through her head. What if she wasn't fit to lead? What if she failed her team and got them killed? She wouldn't be able to live with the fact that she failed her comrades. There was an eerie silence in her home. A drastic contrast to the ecstatic celebration going on outside.

She donned her Jounin uniform, putting her hair up in it's usual ponytail. She double checked her gear, checking every seal that Naruto had showed her on packing necessary equipment. No apprentice of his should be weighed down by anything...

Naruto was often at the front of her mind. He was dating the princess of Suna and she... She was just another woman in Konoha. Temari was beautiful, powerful, had the respect of her entire village. And she had Naruto. Who was Yamanaka Ino? A Jounin, heir to a small clan... She didn't have much that held her in the same light as Temari.

He had done well in getting her. So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

She left her lavender painted room, exiting through the window, and rushed to the gates of Konoha. It would not sit well with her if she were late to a gathering she would be leading. The celebration going on through the village was going on full blast. Floats and game stands gaining the attention of the masses. The variety of food stands littering the roads were ridiculous. But then again, an inauguration was almost a once in a lifetime event.

She had no clue as to why Tsunade had given up her seat. Where had the woman even gone? She left Naruto's side faster than would have been appreciated by anyone taking over such a prestigious position.

She reached her destination, noticing only a single man standing at the ready. Maito Gai. He hadn't been on her previous list, but from what Naruto had said about the man... She was glad he was on the team.

"Yosh! If it isn't my young leader! Are you prepared to quash the fires raging in our enemies bellies?" He thrust his fist into the air, smile giving off an eerie glow.

"Uhhh... Sure!" She smiled, their attention being pulled away by the arriving Hatake.

"Yosh! My eternal rival! I didn't know you would be here today!"

"Mmm... Did you say something?" Kakashi's face was set in a disinterested gaze.

"Hello Kakashi. So how are we going to be separating the squad?" Ino stepped forward.

"I'm going to be taking the trap specialists and a few other supportive nins. You can take the heavy hitters." His gaze was on the ground, "We'll be running ahead of you to plant the traps before the enemy can reach us, so the men will be worn down by the time we're all done setting up. So when you reach us the traps should be set, but you'll need to be covering us for at the least 18 hours."

"Seems like a good enough idea. I know the specialties of my original team, but these new guys... I've never worked with before."

"Yeah I've worked with everyone on the squad. They're good men. Naruto and I trained a good deal of them in the mandatory training camp." She hadn't remembered that Kakashi was the one leading the camp.

The shinobi trickled in, the squad being complete with the arrival of Raido.

Ino stood at the front of the team with Kakashi, going over the detail of their squad separation, and their individual goals. After relaying all the intel and the plan, they shot out of the gates of Konoha, intent on protecting the very walls they were born in.


	12. Anguish

Drops of blood obscurred her vision as she tried to catch a glimpse of the enemy. They were greatly outnumbered. It was almost ridiculous how fast shit had hit the fan.

A blade crossed her very limited line of sight. She ducked, thrusting her own blade into the enemies gut. He gave a faint cry of pain just as she twisted the blade, making the blow lethal. Steel in her eyes, she faced down the next enemy, taking out kunai and hurling them quickly, watching them multiply as her jutsu took effect. The young chuunin's eyes widened as the blades penetrated her body, looking like a human pincushion as blood seeped endlessly from her dying body. Ino turned quickly, the blood on her face becoming dry and sticky. Her team had been separated minutes ago, the enemy triggering the lethal traps and dying in mass.

But it was not enough. Like a never ending torrent of a storm, the men and women of Iwa swarmed the borders of the fire nation. Ino was frustrated, with the way things were going, she was going to need to summon Naruto to the field, something her pride screamed for her not to do. A kunai cut a clean gash into her cheek, Ino moving swiftly to dodge the incoming mud dragon, launching her own fire dragon at the incoming nin. She watched with sickening resignation as the men, women, and children were burnt to a crisp, only a small amount escaping the searing flames. She span a kunai, launching it into the jugular of an unaware genin. He grasped his throat, eyes wide in realization. He was going to die.

Her hands blurred into action as she performed a wide area technique Naruto had drilled into her. She spread her arms apart, watching in mild satisfaction as electricity flowed through strands of ninja wire that had been placed as a precaution earlier. She was glad they were there as she watched numerous men become ensnared in a web of pure lightning. Their bodies shaking as their hearts burst from the speed in which they were pumping.

Once again flying into handseals to deliver a jutsu she knew would slow these men down, Ino took a deep breathe as she poured almost all of her chakra into one of Iwa's most secretive jutsu. The ground shook fiercely as a hand reached out from the ground. A body of Earth pulled itself from the once solid ground, followed by another, and another until the area was filled with earthen bodies. They were featureless creatures whose sole purpose was to attack. And attack they did. Ino watched with light satisfaction in her belly as the Shinobi of Iwa began to be killed by a move their first Hokage created.

There was only one drawback to this technique. The longer she kept these beings out, the longer they would feed off her chakra.

She shook her aching hands, laying her eyes on the advancing troops of the allied army. There were too many, she would not escape. Her team would not escape. She had failed.

She reached into her equipment pouch, pulling out the seal that would bring help. She pumped chakra into the seal, waiting for a reaction. Backing up from the charging enemy. Fear was setting in. They were getting closer. Closer to her. She was closer to death. Her creatures were falling to ash as chakra fatigue was setting in.

Was the seal faulty? Did Naruto mess up? She would surely die here. She had failed, and knowing that she had failed the one person she wanted to trust her... Hurt.

There was a flash of red, Naruto appearing before her, shrouded in a red mist. He turned his eyes to her, the fury in them all too noticeable. The intensity in the gaze shook her to the core. "Get your team..." He turned his back to her, "Get back to Konoha. Now." And he was gone.

There was a huge explosion that pushed her to the ground. The aftershock rumbling the ground she stood on for longer than she thought possible. A giant dome of light erupted in the middle of the forest. Was she supposed to leave him to fight alone?

Naruto's clawed hand ran through a man's torso, the fire burning at his fingertips causing the enemy's blood to boil. He pulled his arm out, creating a mass of Shadow clones, watching each diverge in separate paths to stall the enemy. His main concern was getting his men out alive. He picked apart the enemies like an animal during a hunt.

A charged Rasengan shredded a womans intestines as it plunged into her lower abdomen. Her eyes pained, her scream echoed in the forest. Naruto let her drop down to her knees as he plunged her ninjato into the incoming enemy. Swiftly yanking the blade out, he brought the sword in a wild arc, twisting his body and decapitating the next man who crossed his path. Blood sprayed but he paid no heed to it.

He heard a pained sound to his right, one that he was not the cause of. A chill ran down his spine as he saw Ino upon her knees before someone he knew was quite capable of ending her. An elite.

He was once again in front of her, sword blocking the incoming attack that would have ended her life.

"Fucking brat! Always taking the fun away from me..."

"Your still working under another man? I always figured you for that type..." Naruto roared as he pushed the man's blade astray, throwing away the useless ninjato and unsealing a blade of his own creation.

"Better to be on the winning side then on the brink of extinction eh?" The man bared his teeth, the toothy grin setting the Jinchuuriki on edge.

Kisame was always a man to fear. Filled with unimaginable chakra, holding the power of a brute, the keen swordsmanship of a true master... He was truly one to be feared.

Kisame charged the Jinchuuriki, grin still in place. His blade met the dark steel of Naruto's own, slowly putting the Hokage to his knees under the pressure. "Your pretty strong brat..." He kicked him in the abdomen, chuckling when he rolled out of the kick, "But I've got years on you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, barely noticing that his hands were no longer clawed, his teeth no longer sharp. His Chakra had suppressed greatly under the influence the shark mans blade. It was important that he avoid the damn thing.

"You got a pretty big sword there fish man! Trying to make up for what your lacking or what!" The blonde chuckled when Kisame gave him a toothy grin.

"Quite the opposite kiddo, I'm showing the world that I got a big sword... Hehehe funny right?" He charged with a speed belaying his size. Sword held on his shoulder, he swung with enough force to rip muscle from bone. Lucky for Naruto, he didn't want to be a few bones and no meat.

A quick flash of yellow put him behind the weird shinobi. Sword blocked by the mans wrapped blade. His sword dug into the material. An odd spiky blue tissue appearing in the tears. Naruto analyzed it for a second, disappearing as soon as the blade was nearly in his face.

A quick succession of flashes put the boy in numerous positions. Clones surrounded the shark man, and he laughed comically. "Oh kid... Your gonna annoy the hell out of me." Shuffling through seals faster than even Naruto could, twenty sharks gushed from the cloaked mans mouth. Moving faster than a few clones could avoid, puffs of smoke gave Naruto a good idea of what he was dealing with.

A treacherous grin formed on the Shark mans face, "So I hear that you fell in love with another blonde?" He gave a low guttural chuckle, "It's funny, I always figured you idiots to be senseless... Now I know it." Naruto's eyes widened as the smell of blood assaulted his nose. He hadn't noticed. He hadn't fucking sensed it.

He failed. His heart ached as Kisame's clone came forward with Ino, he throat slit. The wound very new. Very red. So much blood leaving her small form. His eyes widened. His heart stopped. He couldn't move. It hurt. It all hurt so much. What? What was this pain? What was this sad destructive feeling in the pit of his stomach. He clenched his chest and choked out something. It was then that he noticed the katana sticking through it. Plunged deeply in his heart.

"So weak. Love..." The blue toned man looked grim for once, "Love makes you weak. You fool."

And it did. It made him so weak. It dropped his senses. Clouded his judgment and made him clumsy. And now the ultimate price had been paid for his weakness. His eyes were fading, and he laughed.

"I... I loved her. You kille..." He choked on his blood, "You killed her." His eyes became so dark. His pupil expanding, the gray faded to nothing. "You killed her." Kisames eyes widened as he tried to pull the blade out. It fell apart at the hilt. "You killed her..." He jumped back in fear. "You."

"YOU **K**i**ll**e**d H**e**r**!" Something dark had come forth in his voice. In his soul. In him.

"**I'l**l f**UCK**in**G END YOU!**" Black chakra, so foul in feeling permeated from his skin. A dark cloud wrapping around his body, impenetrable and vile. Kisame felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time. Fear.

A sonic boom was the only disturbance made before Kisame realized that Naruto's fist was through his stomach. He looked down. Shocked. Unsure. Confused? "Heh?" The grin never reached his mouth as a scream formed in his throat. The demonized Naruto grabbed his arm, and the Akatsuki member screamed. An inhuman screech rocked the earth they stood upon as the man who could never fathom pain so immense yelled out for forgiveness.

Where the chakra met his flesh, the smell of decay overtook his nostrils. He looked the monster in the eyes. Nothing. The black orbs gave nothing. He looked to the hand upon his arm, only to see the flesh falling off like leaves from a tree, flaking and dying. He watched as his arm was destroyed from the inside out. The pain was never going to end. Never going to end.

"_**I hoPe ThiS fuCkIng HuRTs yOu SoN Of a BitCh!**__" _The sound that came from his mouth was not of this world. It was so eerie. So unnatural. It hurt to hear it.

Kisame screamed more as the black chakra invaded his body. It was attacking everything inside him at a molecular level. He could feel it all, consuming him down to the core. He was going to die here. And it was going to be the worst moment in the history of mankind.

Naruto's black eyes watched in anger as Kisame's head imploded and fell away to nothing. This would not be the end. This would not be the end of his redemption.

He looked to the North, where the enemy troops were retreating. No... It was just the beginning.

Thanks for the wait guys. It's been awhile. Once again this is an unbettad chapter. Sorry for any mistakes.

It's a little short, but the next one will be the true masterpiece.

Hypno


End file.
